Give Me A Reason
by Harry Potter Fan 1994
Summary: "You are not your mother. And I'm trying my best not to be my father." Descendants retold for a slightly more mature audience. Ben x Mal, Evie x Doug, Carlos x Jay
1. Welcome To My Wicked World

**Hey everyone, I've changed quite a lot of the story, so many of the details will likely be different. Hope you still like it!**

* * *

A spritz of neon green spray paint finished off the tag: Long Live Evil, designed to fit into a silhouette of Maleficent. The first word was squeezed into her face and horns, the palindromic portion made up her wingspan. Purple fire rose behind the figure and her raised scepter. Each line was sharp and clean, perfected from years of practice.

Now that it was finished, Mal was utterly bored.

She only did this when she had nothing else to do. It had not been that way when she started as a young girl, after she'd heard stories of the so-called 'heroes' and their victories against villains like her mother. Twenty years before, when King Adam brought together the kingdom of Auradon and banished the villains to the magically locked-down Isle of the Lost, he likely hoped the villains would die off quietly, unable to cause any trouble. Little, defiant Mal created her tag for any visiting do-gooders to see that their hopes were in vain. People like Maleficent never truly disappeared. People like Mal made sure of it.

Now, though, there was usually a more productive way to spend her time. Mal's mother, the Queen of Darkness herself, made her memorize spells from the worn-out book she'd smuggled into her imprisonment. It was in preparation for their eventual escape from this magic-less prison, Mal supposed. Jafar often pitted Mal against his son, Jay, in hand-to-hand combat in lieu of strength training. She also spent a couple hours a day stealing food and interesting trinkets from other inhabitants of the island (mostly children, but adults if she wanted a challenge) to make sure her crew was the best fed and happiest of all the villains.

But it was high noon and most of her cronies were still sleeping. The crowded, dirty streets of the Isle were empty and would stay that way until close to nightfall. Mal did not sleep all that much. Dreams of crowns that _belonged_ to her had been plaguing her as of late. She'd sat with the spell book long enough to recite the whole thing from memory, and she wasn't in the mood to stare at pages anyway. So her lack of options had led her here, to the makeshift marketplace where things were stolen as often as traded. It had been a while since she'd replaced the old tags that had been covered up or painted over. The weekly delivery of supplies from Auradon was underway, and she wanted the delivery men to see this image. See it and fear it.

Admittedly, it was not the most ambitious evil scheme ever undertaken.

The Auradonians were protected from the villains by magic whenever they needed to visit the Isle. Their entire operation was hidden from sight until they were gone, at which point various old fruits, vegetables, breads, and meats that had been discarded from the mainland suddenly appeared in the marketplace. To Mal's trained eyes, the magic was easy to spot - a shimmer here, a wisp of kicked-up dust there. But she let them think they were unseen - her presence was enough to strike fear in their hearts. Anyway, it wouldn't do to let all of Auradon know that Mal's skill with magic was anything more than amateurish. Not yet. But she had plans, ruthless plans that would bring down entire kingdoms once she was strong enough and out of this forsaken place.

Any minute now, the invisibility would lift and Mal intended to grab more than her fair share.

She hated that she, the girl with the most potential out of any of the villainous children, was reduced to petty theft. She could feel her power in her veins, but she couldn't use it until the barrier around the island that prevented her magic was lifted. Every day, though, she grew stronger. And every day, she believed more and more that she was destined for something truly terrible. Yet, here she was, grabbing food before the hordes came to do the same.

All of a sudden, she heard a low, droning noise coming from the broken bridge that led to the mainland. Throwing aside the half-empty aerosol can, Mal sprinted to the north side of the island. Dilapidated buildings, tattered clothes on drying lines, and haphazardly strewn trash passed her by. She paid these familiar items no mind. The only thing she'd never seen before was the shiny black limo slowly driving through the narrow alleyways. It was struggling; there were scratches on it where exposed metal pipes and bars from the surrounding buildings had made their mark. The car attempted to scale a small pile of rubbish in its way, and then gave up. Mal heard the engine turn off before the driver got out.

He was a tall man, wearing a neat suit and sunglasses. Even without the sunglasses, his face would have been instantly forgettable. But he was most certainly not an island-dweller. "Who are you?" he asked, rather rudely. Mal appreciated it.

"Depends, who's asking?" She leaned on the nearest wall, observing the man with her bright green eyes. Normally, she paraded around the fact that she was Maleficent's daughter. It made her all but untouchable. This was not 'normally'. This man was definitely from Auradon and she'd heard enough to keep her cards close to her chest with these people.

The man drew himself up. "My name is Jeffrey, and I am here on behalf of Prince Benjamin of Auradon. I am looking for four inhabitants of this island and...there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to this place." He kicked at the carcass of a chair on the side of the road.

His disgust irked her. _Sorry it's not anything like your perfectly maintained castles._ She needed to distract him for a while so she could steal from the limo. She would've preferred to knock him unconscious, but who knew how many knights and squires would come bearing down on the isle to put her back in her place. "I can show you around. For free, even." She flashed a smile at him, and saw him shudder. "I've never had a ride in such a fancy car."

Jeffrey scowled at her. "Not a chance, demon spaw - I mean, no, that won't be necessary. I'll find them myself."

She smirked back. "Demon spawn? Now you've hurt my feelings. I think you _owe_ me a ride. Besides, how are you going to find anyone in this place without a guide?"

He glanced around, finding a veritable ghost town, and then sighed in defeat. "I'm looking for four kids. Carlos, Evelyn, Jamsheed, and Mal...just Mal, I guess."

Mal half-considered letting him announce those names and watch the owners tear him apart for using the full versions, but then she realized what he was asking. She paused, startled. The four of them were a well-known, much-feared gang on the Isle, but how had they gotten themselves into trouble with the Auradonian authorities? None of them had ever set foot on the mainland.

"What do you want them for?" she asked evenly.

"None of your business. Where can I find them?"

"We'll need to go to the south side of the island." Mal approached him, noting his obvious flinch with satisfaction. "We'd better get moving."

* * *

Evie woke to the voice of an irritated Maleficent. She and her mother, the Evil Queen Grimhelde, shared the largest, most ominous building in this floating prison with Maleficent and her daughter. For the most part, Evie avoided angering any of the powerful villains she lived with, and was therefore quick to escape her bed and run into the bathroom. Her morning make-up routine was more than long enough to wait out Maleficent's tirade.

She moisturized first, using a miniscule amount of lotion so that this bottle would hold over until some Auradonian royal decided to throw out another one. Her blemish-free skin marginally softer, she brushed on a powder foundation. Eyelash-curling, eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, brow powder, blush, lip liner, and lipstick followed. Relief flowed through her as she perfected her made-up face; it always comforted her when she ceased looking like a "washed out freak," as her mother had taken to calling her. When she emerged to look for her hairbrush, she found seven people waiting on her.

Maleficent was there, not nearly as angry-looking as she should have been for being woken before mid-afternoon. Her black cape and robes shimmered in the low light that was permitted in the room. Evie always found her horns disconcerting. As someone who was constantly berated over the way she looked, Evie couldn't fathom how Maleficent had any self-confidence at all with those grotesque, twisted things growing out of her head.

Next to her stood Mal, the closest thing Evie had to a friend. The purple-haired girl was cold and calculating, cruel if angered, but she looked out for her own. Her fashion sense left much to be desired, but she was pretty in an ethereal kind of way. Must be the fairy in her, Evie had reasoned long ago. Mal had her arms crossed, her expression blank, but Evie could tell from the subtle hunching of her shoulders that Mal was not pleased.

Jafar and his son, Jay, had also joined this gathering. Jafar traded the items Jay stole on the island, and was therefore responsible for a good amount of Evie's makeup. Jay had been raised a fighter and a thief, and it showed in his muscular build. He'd been blessed with stunning good looks as well, but his flirtatious attitude and lack of any actual property made him quite uninteresting to Evie. The two Middle Eastern men appeared as confused as she, and Evie got the idea that her absence was holding up the dissemination of some very important information.

Next to them stood the nutcase Cruella de Vil and her bite-size son, Carlos. The two of them had naturally black hair that Cruella insisted be dyed white. Carlos did the dyeing, as well as the cooking, cleaning, grooming, and working in that household. A large portion of his time was spent caring for Cruella's collection of rare furs. Who knew what Cruella did all day. The only clue was that though Carlos was rarely around, when he did show up, he came bearing fresh cuts and bruises from his insane mother. He was prone to violent rages, though less frequently than his mother, and his false-friendliness had forced down the guard of many a victim in the past. He was currently holding the hem of Cruella's long coat so that it did not brush the ground when she walked.

Finally, the Evil Queen herself. Evie's mother, and once upon a time a shoe-in for Fairest in the Land. She was old, now, and kept most of herself covered up, choosing instead to live vicariously through her daughter.

"Oh Evie, your _hair_! Disgusting little girl, don't you know better than to greet guests with bedhead?" screeched Grimhelde. Evie winced. She would pay for this later with more insults.

"Shut up, Grimhelde," snapped Maleficent. "Now that we're all here, my dear daughter has news."

All eyes turned to Mal. Not once had Maleficent ever used a term of endearment for _anyone_. Something had changed. Mal pretended not to notice. "Some guy from the mainland is outside with a limo. He's looking for the four of us. I think he's taking us over the bridge."

Shock and silence.

"What for?" Jay asked.

"He won't tell me. I didn't tell him I was one of the people he was looking for, though. Maybe if I do, he'll be a little more forthcoming." Both because he was looking for her, and because she was the daughter of the most evil woman in the land.

"Listen to me, you brats," said Maleficent. "So far, you've been all but useless. This is your chance to do something worth our time, for once. The minute you're off the Isle, you can use magic." She looked pointedly at her own daughter. "Take advantage of that to steal that Godmother hag's wand. It's the only thing powerful enough to destroy this barrier and free us. That needs to be your first priority." She gave them all a wicked smile. "Free us, and nothing will stop our takeover of the kingdom. _Nothing_ will stop our wrath."

The Evil Queen pulled Evie aside. "First priorities are all very well," she whispered, "but you need to find a prince for yourself. Never forget what I raised you for." She patted her daughter's cheek. "You _will_ make me a true queen again."

"I'll find the richest one, mother," Evie promised. "I'll make him fall for me, you'll see."

"Not looking like that, you won't. Don't you dare let anyone see you with a single hair out of place again."

* * *

Carlos knew what was waiting for him across the water.

 _Vile, rabid pack animals._

No matter how much Cruella beat him, he knew it was nothing compared to what a single dog could do. His mother rarely left out the gory details.

 _Rip out your throat and claw through your belly._

He had nightmares of gnashing teeth and soulless eyes.

"Are they taking us somewhere worse?" Carlos asked Jay, seeking any sort of comfort despite knowing Jay could give none. He relied on Jay much more than any islander should rely on another, but they were close enough that it didn't matter. Carlos' attacks had been getting him in trouble for years. Jay had stepped in one day to prevent a beating from the goons of someone Carlos had subjected to his unstable fury, for reasons Carlos had never figured out. Since then, they'd been inseparable, working as a team: Jay would bring his day's takings to Carlos to tinker with, and leave with that item converted into something more valuable. More importantly, though, Jay was the only person who could calm Carlos, the only person who had some understanding of why he needed to hurt other people. They made each other laugh, too - something rare around those parts. Between their roughhousing, their inside jokes, and the deep understanding between them, Carlos was almost content. Almost. But even hinting at anything more would have been dangerous among the intolerant inhabitants of the island.

"I don't know." Jay very rarely walked around without an easy smile on his face, but he was dead serious as they approached the limo.

Mal stopped just in front of the limo driver, who had probably been waiting upwards of a half-hour. "I'm Mal. This is Carlos, Jay, and Evie. Now tell me what you want."

Using the very recognizable parents behind them as confirmation of their identities, the driver cleared his throat nervously and answered, "Oh. Well, congratulations to all of you. Prince Benjamin of Auradon has decreed that the children of the...citizens...of the Isle should be given a chance to learn and grow alongside everyone else. He has formally invited you to study at Auradon Preparatory School. Should you choose to accept - "

"We accept," Mal interrupted after a prod from Maleficent. The other three teens exchanged looks. Prep school? With heroes' kids? Did these people have a death wish?

The man looked like he'd been holding out hope that they wouldn't. "Alright...since you've accepted, I'm to take you to Auradon Prep immediately. The new school year will begin tomorrow. You'll need to pack quickly."

A short pause to let their change of luck soak in, and a nod of understanding. "We'll be out soon," said Evie with a sickly-sweet smile.

 _Barking, biting, feasting...all while he was still alive._

Carlos was not excited about what waited for him across the water.

* * *

The limo was full of technology Jay had never seen and food Jay had never tasted. He'd started with the food first, quickly recognizing the majority of it as chocolate. The sweet was rarely ever found on the Isle, though Jay was pretty sure he'd stolen a bar or two for his dad's shop. It melted in his mouth and tasted like heaven. He grinned at Carlos with brown-stained teeth, and when his best friend grinned back, he temporarily forgot about the unknown territory they were driving into.

Mal refused to eat anything or say anything beyond "don't do anything stupid when we get there, we need a few days to see what we're dealing with", instead choosing to sit in a corner of the limo with her arms crossed and her eyes fixated on the divider that separated the four from the driver. Jay had seen Maleficent taking her aside before they left, and had no doubt that whatever scheme they hatched was largely dependent on Mal stepping up to the plate. The girl was always looked cool as ice under pressure, but this was beyond any pressure they had experienced before.

They all felt a bump as they left the confines of the magical barrier. Mal's eyes widened, and she hunched over even more.

Evie was touching up her blush using the magic mirror her mother had given her before she left. She was easily the most excited out of the four, and they soon learned why. "I can't believe I'm finally going to meet princes. I wonder how long it'll take for me to have one wrapped around my finger?" She winked at Jay. "How do I look?"

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, I guess." Her smile quickly turned into a glare, but he didn't care. She was stunning, but not the kind of stunning he'd ever been looking for.

"Mmmja, yuff gottry iss," Carlos told him through a mouth full of candy, holding out a handful of what looked like colorful pebbles. Jay popped one in his mouth, surprised at how sweet it was, and then took all of them from the younger boy. Hunger more than satisfied, he began looking around for easily detached items.

There was an actual carphone on Evie's side, which he'd only ever heard of. With a tug, it came free, and he stashed it under his jacket even though it created a very obvious bulge. He found more merchandise in the storage pockets underneath the driver's barrier. Carlos caught on, digging between the seats for any fallen valuables. He managed to come up with what looked to be a real diamond earring. The two of them searched under the seats, finding a variety of board games and books, as well as a soft-as-a-cloud blanket that was immediately a point of dispute.

"I want this," Carlos demanded, his general mouth area covered in chocolate. "Get something else!"

"No, _you_ get something else. This is mine!"

They pulled at it in a tug-of-war of sorts that everyone knew Jay would win, ignoring Evie's huffing and Mal's irritated looks. So caught up were they in their half-game/half-conflict, they didn't notice the limo had stopped. Jay had Carlos pinned to the door with one hand and was pulling the blanket with the other when Jeffrey pulled the door open. The two of them spilled out, surprised as the ground rushed up to meet them.

Jay hardly noticed where they were, instead trying to get himself untangled from Carlos and the blanket. The two girls stepped over them as they exited, Evie throwing them an unimpressed glance. Jay got up and offered a hand to a slightly-red Carlos just before the carphone slipped out of his jacket. He looked up to find that about fifty people had seen it.

Before him was a grand castle, with emerald green lawns dotted with statues and topiary stallions. They'd been dropped off in front of the entrance, over which large letters proclaimed "AURADON PREPARATORY SCHOOL." In front of the school was an ironically silent band, as all of the members were busy gaping open-mouthed at the new arrivals. Three people pushed through the musicians, their megawatt smiles mostly fake.

One of them was an older woman, wearing a conservative baby-blue dress decorated only with a pink bow. The other girl, a pretty brunette with tanned skin and the most expensive clothes Jay had ever seen, held a bouquet of flowers. All eyes were on the third person, though - an absolutely gorgeous boy whose hair looked like it was strands of pure gold. His face was a combination of kind and attractive that was somehow complementary. He dressed well too, in an expertly tailored suit and shiny black shoes that Jay was itching to steal right off his feet. Even his cuff links would have made Jafar jump for joy.

Pointedly ignoring the stolen goods that had dropped onto the grass, the unknown boy extended a hand to no one in particular. "Hello. I'm Prince Benjamin, but you can call me Ben. Welcome to Auradon Prep."


	2. Rotten To The Core

**Thanks for the reviews, guys!**

* * *

Mal already hated Ben.

He really was the definition of a prince, exactly what she had pictured from the stories she had heard. He was so good-looking even _she_ had to admit it, however much she didn't want to. He looked like he had been sculpted instead of born like a normal human being. Though his clothes were thick, the lines of his suit subtly suggested a muscular build. His perfect posture only added to the strength he emanated. Perfect was actually the only word that could be used to describe him; perfect hair, perfect teeth, perfect skin, perfect features. His smile was the only genuine one out of the three that stood in front of them.

That bothered her the most. In every other face she could plainly see how much the four of them were feared. Ben, though, didn't look scared at all. Was he stupid? Did he not know who she was? The minute the limo had left the island, she'd felt the trapped magic surge within her. She'd never been so free in her life, and she could only imagine the destruction her power could cause. Perfect little Ben clearly had no idea.

What made all of this worse was the picturesque location. It was a bright, sunny day and some sort of squeaky bird was chirping annoyingly close to them. The band's instruments and uniforms were spotless, and the metallic elements gleamed in the light. The barrier had kept the island fairly gloomy, so Mal's pale skin was already getting sunburned. She despised this place. But most of all, she despised Ben.

"We're very excited to have you," he continued warmly, though "excited" was probably not the word the vast majority of those present would have chosen. "And I'm looking forward to a historic year that will bring opportunities for all of us to learn from each other."

What a pompous dolt. Ben caught Mal's eye roll, and cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Uh...yeah, that was kind of a written out statement. Too much, huh?" he asked her. He had a voice like honey and eyes that literally _sparkled_. It was disgusting.

Evie was the first to break the silence of the villains' kids. "No, it was such a kind introduction, your Majesty." She giggled and curtsied. "I'm Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen. So I suppose that makes me a princess...right?"

Mistaking her flirtation for friendliness, Ben looked eager to respond, but the brunette next to him quickly interrupted. "The Evil Queen isn't really recognized as royalty here. So...neither are you." She gave Evie a very fake apologetic look.

Ben threw her a cursory glance. "This is Audrey-"

"Princess Audrey," she interrupted, wrapping her hands around Ben's arm. "Daughter of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. Crown Prince Ben's girlfriend." Evie's face fell; Crown Prince meant he was next in line for the throne, but if he was taken, seducing him would be all the more difficult. Mal, however, had engaged in an aggressive staring contest with the daughter of the woman her mother had cursed. She looked just as awfully prissy as Ben. So sickeningly perfect for each other. The thought of cursing her crossed Mal's mind, but she held off. They needed the wand first; all the fun came later.

"Right. Princess Audrey." Ben notably did not acknowledge the second half of Audrey's statement. "And this is the Fairy Godmother, our principal and mentor." He gestured at the older woman, who stepped forward.

"Welcome, children. I'm happy you've chosen to join our institution."

"Where's your wand?" Carlos blurted out.

Mal nearly groaned. That wasn't at all obvious. "Yeah, I thought the Fairy Godmother was supposed to run around magicking up dresses for people," Jay thankfully added to make it look like they were just curious.

"Oh, no," said the Godmother, smiling gently. "You're thinking of my younger days. I find myself more suited to teaching now. Speaking of which, we will be seeing quite a lot of each other. I am leading a class entitled Remedial Goodness, in which all of you are enrolled." Mal had a feeling this was a new class, and there were only four seats in it.

"Why don't you come in? We have some volunteers who can show you around," Ben said. "You're going to love it here."

* * *

The interior of the castle was decorated with dark wood, both on the walls and the floor. Portraits of various princes and princesses hung in the foyer and the hallways. Tables carved with intricate designs supported vases holding vividly colored flowers. Two extremely dorky looking students greeted them inside. One of them, a short boy wearing the marching band uniform they'd seen nearly fifty people clad in outside, and a tall Asian girl with a bob haircut, a blue Auradon Prep jacket, and a loose-fitting skirt.

The girl beamed and greeted in a chirpy voice, "Hey guys! I'm Lonnie Li. It's nice to meet you! Doug and I are going to give you a quick tour."

At this point, Doug was clearly supposed to say something, but he was staring wide-eyed at Evie. Evie smiled. Doug was nowhere near as handsome as Prince Ben, but it didn't matter so long as he was royalty. Lonnie elbowed him, and he jerked out of his trance. "Uh, yeah. Hi. Um. F-follow us."

"And if you need anything, don't hesitate to seek any of us out. We're all happy to help." Ben waved goodbye at them. "Classes start tomorrow, but Doug and Lonnie will show you to your dorms first so you can get settled."

After he left, Doug and Lonnie began walking up a grand set of stairs in the Evie detached herself from the group and twirled a lock of her blue hair in front of Doug. "So, who's son are you?"

"Um...I'm um, Dopey's son. He was one of the seven dwarves, you know?"

"Ugh!" Evie pushed past him in disgust. What a waste of her time. She missed the devastated look on Doug's face. But Lonnie directed the girls to the girls' dormitories, so she didn't have to deal with him any longer than necessary.

Lonnie led Evie and Mal down a hallway with plush maroon carpeting. Doors lined both sides, but they came to the middle of the wing before Lonnie opened up one of them.

The room had twin four-poster beds, desks, armoires, and dressing tables. The carpeting ended at the door, turning back into wood flooring. A couple of bright blue rugs, matching the designs on the otherwise white blankets and sheets, lay on the floor. An absurd amount of sunlight filtered in through the windows. It had been bothersome enough outside, but if this was the case indoors, Evie's skin was going to pay.

"What do you think?" asked Lonnie.

"Just great," Mal deadpanned.

Evie immediately pulled the curtains closed, then put her hands on her hips and surveyed the rest of the room. "It'll do." It was no place to entertain potential boyfriends, but the dressing table would be a nice place to get ready in the morning, and her desk could easily fit a sewing machine for when she wanted to fix up her clothes.

"Well, good!" Their lack of enthusiasm flew right over Lonnie's head. "Why don't you guys get settled in, and I'll come find you in about an hour? We can grab dinner and then I'll show you where all our classes are held."

* * *

The boys' guide had been less than enthusiastic after being shot down by Evie. Carlos and Jay could not care less; they were in awe of their surroundings, actually overwhelmed by how much _stuff_ was just out in the open for anyone to steal. But where would they put it? They wouldn't be going back to the Isle until they'd successfully stolen the wand. Nevertheless, Carlos palmed a rather fancy looking gold pen someone had left on a table, and proudly showed it to Jay once Doug was gone.

"I've never seen anything so useless," Jay declared, snatching it from the younger boy and looking it over.

"I wouldn't be surprised if it's actually gold plated," Carlos argued. He could scrape off the plating and use it for conduction in a circuit, something he'd never had the opportunity to do on the Isle. "Besides, it writes. It's still functional."

Jay shrugged, tossing the pen back to Carlos, who deftly caught it and began taking it apart. "Rich bastards. They have it so good here, and they don't even know." Having abandoned his bag on the floor next to one of the beds, Jay made for the door. "Let's find Mal and Evie. Mal probably has a plan already."

After running into a retreating Lonnie, the boys followed her directions to Mal and Evie's room. Upon arriving, they found Mal in a foul mood.

"Do you know," she said in a dangerously low voice, "how hard it's going to be not to seriously injure any of the idiots here until we get that wand?"

"Relax, Mal." Evie was fixing her hair using the mirror of her dressing table, her magic mirror tucked safely away in her purse. "You only have to deal with these people for a few days. It can't take that long to find the wand and grab it."

"We'll have to do a lot of recon. We don't know anything about this place," Jay reminded her. "And for that, we'll probably need to blend in for a few weeks."

"That's. Too. _Long_." Suddenly, Mal's clenched fist opened and a small, neon green fireball jumped from her palm. It landed in the curtains, immediately setting the bottom of the cloth aflame.

"Holy shit!" Jay immediately jumped into action, stomping out the fire with his boot. Luckily, it was small and easily smothered. "What did you just do?!"

Mal's surprised expression quickly dissolved into a cold smile. "You're right, Evie. It probably won't take that long at all."

* * *

Dinner was quite the affair at Auradon Prep, or so it seemed to Jay. The cafeteria consisted of several round tables in a grand hall, each covered in a white tablecloth. Groups of students chattered away, happy to catch up after the summer break. The four villain kids, plus Doug and Lonnie, retrieved a few plates and started at the beginning of the buffet line. From there, trays upon trays of food stretched all the way to the other end of the hall. The Isle children had never seen so much food in their life. Salads, sandwiches, pastas, breads, cheeses, cuts of meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, pies, and cakes danced before their eyes.

"Don't eat too much," Mal warned, "It's too heavy for us and it'll make you sick."

Naturally, the boys didn't listen and wolfed down a small mountain of food. Evie daintily picked at a salad, sitting as far from Doug as possible. Lonnie was the only one who spoke, telling them about the different elective options Auradon Prep offered.

Before heading on the tour of the classrooms, everyone else waited outside the bathrooms while Carlos and Jay vomited the vast majority of what they'd just eaten. Jay's stomach had taken on a volcanic quality. He'd eaten the most and thus felt the worst.

"Okay," he finally told the group. Carlos had exited the bathroom a little while ago, and was currently cowering under Mal's glare. "We can go now."

Though he had to hold his stomach and fight down infrequent waves of nausea, Jay was able to keep up with the group. Their first stop was a few doors down from the cafeteria.

"This is the chemistry lab," explained Lonnie. "Mr. Delay teaches this class. He's pretty fair but expects a lot out of you, so this is definitely not a class to slack off in."

Next, they came to the art studio. Mal handed Jay a couple of bottles of acrylic paint when Lonnie and Doug weren't looking, which he pocketed without question. He saw her slip a couple of paintbrushes inside her jacket.

They walked through a variety of generic classrooms for history, formal writing, etiquette, the so-called "remedial goodness" class, and math. As they were exiting the last room, they ran into Ben. He was alone this time, and had changed into a jersey and shorts.

"Oh hey guys!" He greeted. "I was looking for you. Jay, Carlos, I wanted to show you two the tourney fields."

"What's that?" asked Jay. "Is that where you hang people?"

"Don't be stupid," Carlos said. "They don't hang people anymore. They probably shoot them by firing squad."

"Um...no," Ben said slowly. "There's actually no death on the tourney fields. Tourney is a sport." He grinned again. "The _best_ sport."

"Oh." The boys looked at each other and shrugged. "Fine."

"We're going to check out the biology lab," said Doug, who'd long since found his voice again and was surprisingly still pleasant to everyone, even Evie. "You guys can catch up with us when you're done."

Ben led Jay and Carlos out behind the school. Both boys had their guards up. It was sunset, and everyone knew that nighttime was when the majority of criminals came out of the woodwork. Besides, they were fully expecting some sort of attack from these Auradonians and so far nothing had been forthcoming.

They came upon a large green field spanning over a hundred yards. Goals were set up at each end, and a yellow area in the middle was flanked by two metal contraptions that spat out yellow discs at different heights. Several boys were yelling to each other as they ran across the field with...were they brooms? Jay took a closer look. No, they had handles, but an open mouth where a small ball could fit. The boys dodged discs in the yellow zone and each other in the green zones, launching the ball every once in a while to other team members.

"This is just about the end of practice for us veteran players," Ben told them. "But tryouts for new students are after school tomorrow. I hope you guys consider joining. I think tourney definitely helps keep me grounded and less stressed out by school."

Jay was following the players, one of which scored a goal and was immediately dog-piled by his celebrating teammates. The game seemed easy enough, but he was more of a "flying solo" kind of guy than a team player. He also didn't plan on being here long enough for this to matter. "We'll think about it."


	3. Don't You Wanna Be Evil Like Me?

"Of course," Mal groaned. This was already a horrible day.

Mal had been up late in Jay and Carlos's room. The boys had found out that their TV had a video game console attached and had been glued to the thing ever since. Evie had watched, bored, but Mal had her nose deep in Maleficent's spell book. Every so often, she would mutter something, and a flash of light would startle the others, or they'd have to lift their feet to allow gigantic critters room to crawl on the floor. Then, the four had found out around three that classes start at 8 a.m. As in, eight in the morning, their _bedtime_ on the Isle of the Lost. Plus, Evie had made the decision, sans consultation, to wake up at six so she could finish her makeup in time. Thanks to her roommate, Mal had slept approximately two hours and even for her, that hadn't been enough. Plus, the beds had been so deliciously _comfortable_ , it had physically hurt her to leave. And now this.

"Hey Mal!" Ben said brightly. "Ready for your first day?"

His locker was right next to hers.

"It's too early for me to deal with you."

"Yeah, I figured. Have you ever had coffee? It's great for early mornings."

"No."

"The cafe has a really nice coffee station. I'll show you at lunch; we'd be cutting a little close to class if we went right now."

Mal retrieved the books she needed from her conveniently stocked locker and shut it with more force than necessary. "Look. I get that you're trying to be 'friendly' or whatever, but I'm not interested. I don't need a Fairy Godmother."

For the first time, she saw Ben frown. "I know you don't like me, Mal. I don't blame you. But bringing you four over here was my idea, and I want to make sure you succeed at Auradon Prep and in Auradon in general. So until you're settled in and everything's going smoothly, you're stuck with me."

Mal was about to retort, but a shrill cry of "Bennyboo!" cut her off. From behind Ben, a pair of arms sprouted and wrapped around his waist. Ben turned around in surprise.

"Hey, Audrey," he said, returning her hug. However, now that she could see past Ben, Audrey noticed Mal and possessively placed her hands on Ben's chest.

"Good morning." Her nose wrinkled slightly as she looked down at Mal's faded and punk-styled clothes. She turned back to Ben, content to pretend that Mal was no longer there. "Walk me to class?"

"Sure. Good luck today, Mal." He left with his girlfriend, and Mal's sudden headache lessened considerably. Audrey did not even wait to walk out of earshot before she began whispering furiously about how Ben should watch his back and how out-of-style Mal's boots were. The new girl did not care. She had a few minutes to get to class, and because of the surveillance phase of their plan, could not afford to be late.

Her first class was history. The other three Isle kids weren't in this class. When she walked in, most of her classmates quieted and stared at her, but she paid them no mind. Mal prepared herself for the most boredom she'd likely ever experience.

"Good morning class!" chirped the teacher. "My name is Ms. White, and no, no relation. We're going to start with a brief review of the Medieval period, which you covered last year. From there, we'll move on to the Interlude, the hundred years or so when magic mysteriously disappeared following the death of Merlin. Review material WILL be covered on the midterm, so make sure you take notes this week!"

Just because she would stand out if she didn't, Mal opened a notebook and stared at the teacher as if she was paying attention. Her scribbles started to form the outline of a dragon. When Ms. White was facing the whiteboad, Mal was able to look down and add details.

Despite this, some of the information turned out to be rather interesting. Mal perked up when the teacher mentioned the extent of Merlin's magic - he could shapeshift into a variety of people and animals, create illusions, and predict the future. The enchantress Morgan Le Fay was touched on only briefly, but her name was the first word Mal actually wrote down. Dragons and betrayal and adventure littered this story. Mal had never heard it before, and by the end of the lesson she was engrossed. These were the new limits of her power, and she was going to spend all the free time she had trying to reach them.

* * *

Evie sat down at an empty lab table in the chemistry room, well aware that everyone's eyes were on her. The next few students that filed in pointedly avoided the chair next to her, but one seriously misguided soul chose to sit there.

She looked up, only to sigh with irritation. Doug was reaching into his backpack, but when he straightened and put his lab notebook on the table, he gave her a quick smile. He looked slightly less dorky out of his band uniform, but his glasses were still in place and the sweater vest wasn't helping. Her annoyance with him was increased ten-fold when the next person to walk in was the most beautiful boy Evie had ever seen.

The tall student had thick, perfectly side-swept blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and dimples. Dimples! He made Ben look like an average Joe. If only the seat next to her had been empty! It was too late to ask Doug to move; the newcomer had taken the seat across from her. He was still close, at least. When he saw her, he smiled (oh evilness, those _dimples_ ) and Evie practically melted.

"Doug," she hissed to get his attention. The smaller boy looked up from his lab notebook.

"What's up?"

"Who is that?" As subtly as she could, Evie jutted her chin in the newcomer's direction.

"Oh, um..." He hesitated, and Evie glared at him. "That's Chad. Chad Charming."

Doug had left out the 'Prince' part, but Evie knew Cinderella's story. _Gorgeous, rich, and royal? Yes, please!_ She shot him her most brilliant smile, and was about to greet him, but the teacher at the front cleared his throat for attention.

"Good morning, class. I'm Mr. Delay. Welcome to the start of a new school year. I would like to tell you from the beginning that this class is difficult, but with hard work and persistence, you'll all do just fine. Let's start with a pre-test so I can gauge what you know already. This won't be graded. It's just to help me identify problem areas."

Packets of paper were distributed among the students. Normal resources included a calculator and a bare-bones periodic table of the elements. Evie surreptitiously placed her magic mirror next to the exam.

Their education on the Isle had not been a stellar one. Even the first question had her stumped. She leaned down, as if staring very closely at the page, and whispered the question word-for-word, "If silver naturally occurs in the Ag-107 isotope 51.8% of the time, and in the Ag-109 isotope 48.2% of the time, what is the atomic weight of silver?"

Her mirror's surface rippled. When it settled again, it displayed "107.87 amu." Evie wrote that down and moved on to the next question.

"Describe the difference between the intramolecular and intermolecular O-H bonds of water."

So it went on, until all the papers were handed in. The pre-test took the entire class period, covering everything from molecular orbital theory to properties of various elements. Only Evie finished the test looking as glamorous as when she'd started it; everyone else was frazzled.

"How do you think you did?" asked Doug as they packed up.

"I did great," Evie answered dismissively. She had to get to Chad before he left. She was about to slip the magic mirror back in her bag when Doug noticed it.

"That...that's not what I think it is, right?"

"Shut up, Doug." She glared at him again.

"Evie, look, you can't do that here," he whispered to her. "If everyone could just ask a mirror any question and get the answer, we wouldn't need to go to school!"

"Then maybe everyone should have one of these. This place is useless," Evie shot back. Not bothering to scoot her stool under the desk, she briskly walked up to Chad and started flirting. Doug replaced her seat for her.

"Hi. I'm Evie," she greeted, smiling coquettishly. They walked out of the room together and towards the cafeteria. "What's your name?"

"Chad," he responded in a voice that was soft and deep at the same time. "I was hoping to meet you."

"Really? I was hoping to meet you too." This was going perfectly. She giggled and flipped her hair back. "Would you want to hang out sometime?"

His face took on a pained expression. "I would. Really, I would. But that test was so hard, and my grades from last year weren't that great. My parents want me to 'apply myself' this year, whatever that means." He shrugged. "But I definitely have to study a lot more, or I'll never finish all the work this class gives out."

"Why don't we study together?" suggested Evie. She squeezed his shoulder and saw a flicker of _something_ before he sagged again.

"But I have tourney practice, too. It's like I never have a free moment. If only I could get someone to knock out this class's homework for me...then I'm sure I could spend a little time with you." He sighed forlornly. "I'm sure even a half hour with you would keep me happy for weeks."

Her heart was racing. They could do this easily. With her magic mirror, she could finish up both of their work in half the time. And then she had her future husband in her grasp.

"I could do it for you," said Evie casually.

It was so worth it to see his entire face light up. "Really?"

"It wouldn't be too hard. And I don't want anything to get in the way of meeting up with you." She smiled. "How does that sound?"

"Fantastic!" He looked as giddy as a child. "Evie, you're _amazing_."

She laughed. "Trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."

It wasn't until later that day that she thought about what Doug had said earlier. _Ask a mirror any question and get an answer._

She held the mirror up to her lips and whispered, "Where is Fairy Godmother's wand?"

* * *

Carlos' worst fears had come true.

He'd finished up a light lunch with the other Isle kids (no one even sat on the tables next to their table) and had begun walking to his next class, which was across the castle's biggest courtyard. All of a sudden, he'd heard a growl.

Even before he turned around, the growl became a series of yips. The creature making the noise was maybe a foot off the ground and covered in shaggy fur, but Carlos knew what it was.

He started running, faster than he ever had in his entire life. The dog followed him, barking continuously. He jumped over low obstacles to impede its path and slow it down, but it caught up quickly each time. He was already panting. He had to find somewhere to hide.

There was a door on the nearest wall. He reached it with seconds to spare and found it unlocked. Carlos slammed it shut behind him, hearing a thump as the monster chasing him crashed.

Carlos sunk to the ground, hyperventilating. They were here. They could attack at any time. He would never make it back to the island; he was going to die a slow and painful death here as they ate him alive...

For the first time last night, he'd gone to sleep without worrying about being beaten for not catering to each and every one of Cruella's whims that day. He'd almost felt safe. But now, images of her bombarded his eyes, even though they were closed. _You stupid, spoiled, piece of shit! How many times did I tell you to polish these shoes? And I wanted those furs GLEAMING. I'll feed you to the first pack of dogs I find, you'll see._ He flinched, still feeling her smack. _You think that's bad, you blubbering baby? This is NOTHING compared to what I'll have those dogs do to you. You'll be in so much pain you'll never disobey me again. Too bad you'll be dead._

 _Stop. Stop,_ he told himself. _Someone will kill it. Someone else has to have seen it by now. It'll be gone as soon as you leave class._

His breathing eventually slowed. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was in a room full of musical instruments. Plain black chairs, sheet music, and stands littered the floor. Cases of saxophones, tubas, cellos, and drums lined the walls.

At the single grand piano in the room sat a little girl.

She looked properly afraid of him. Otherwise, Carlos would have laid into her. The incident with the dog had left him with a mix of negative emotions that threatened to explode outward any minute.

"Who are you?" he growled.

The girl squeaked softly, and brought her knees into her chest. She was small enough that she could adopt a sitting fetal position on the piano bench.

"I-I'm J-j-jane," she stuttered.

"Jane? Aren't you too young to be here?" She couldn't have been older than thirteen. Her dull brown hair was cut in a bob and kept out of her face with a headband. Her clothes were fairly frumpy, even by Carlos's standards.

"Y-yeah, but m-my mom's the p-principal, so she let's m-me practice piano here."

 _My mom is the principal._ Carlos forced himself to calm down further. If this was Fairy Godmother's daughter, she might know the location of the wand and how to get it. "Oh. Are you any good? At piano, I mean."

She gazed sadly at the keys. "No. I'm not really good at anything." Jane had clearly been finishing up with a dismal practice session.

Carlos approached her slowly, doing his best to be nice despite the anger still swirling inside him. "I'm sure you are. Why don't you play something?"

She brightened. "Are you sure you want to hear? Class starts soon. You'll be late."

"That's okay."

Jane shyly turned back to the piano. Carlos stood next to her and listened as she plunked out a simple etude.

When she was done, Carlos gave her a nod. He didn't mind that it was choppy; after all, his job here wasn't to teach her music. "I don't think you're as bad as you think you are."

The girl blushed. "Thanks." Looking down at the keys, she added. "I've never really talked to a boy by myself before."

He was surprised. "Why not?"

"I didn't think any boys wanted to talk to me. I'm not very pretty," she mumbled, shrugging.

 _Oh boy._ As useful as a crush could be, Carlos really didn't want to pretend to like this girl. She was really young, for one. He wasn't interested, for another. But part of her statement made him think. "You know, my friend Evie used to think that. She got really good with makeup, and now boys talk to her all the time."

Jane's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Carlos heard the bell ring for class. He was officially late. He adjusted his bag and nodded again. "Really. Come by the girls' dorms after dinner. I'll introduce you. She'll definitely be able to make you look great."

Her hands clasped in front of her chest, Jane watched him leave with shining eyes. "Thank you! I can't wait!"

* * *

Remedial Goodness was a joke.

It was Jay's (and Mal, Evie, and Carlos's) last class of the day. Fairy Godmother was a patronizing old crone who had started the class off with questions like "Is it ever okay to steal a loaf of bread?" To which Jay replied, "If you're hungry." He'd gotten admonished for that, but argued that his father had told him Prince Aladdin had been a thief for most of his life. Fairy Godmother found that hard to counter.

Once she was done with the stupid questions, she droned on about rules and laws and courtesies for the entire hour. Instead of snickering at it all like Jay was, Carlos remained strangely silent. When they emerged from the 'torture chamber', as Evie called it, Jay punched his friend lightly in the shoulder.

"What's wrong with you?"

The girls had started back to the dorms, but the boys were headed to tourney tryouts. Carlos didn't look like he wanted to go. He just stared at the ground and hunched over. "I'm not doing too well, Jay."

Jay knew what that meant. He slung an arm around Carlos's shoulders. "That's fine. Let's get you back to the room, and - "

"Guys!" Lonnie's cheerful voice interrupted him. She was also headed back to the girls' dorms, it seemed, but from a different location. "How are you? How was your first day?" Noting where Jay's arm was, she smiled. "I didn't know you guys were dating!"

Jay quickly removed his arm, but he'd already felt Carlos go rigid. The younger boy snapped. Jay was almost too slow to react; he grabbed Carlos around the waist as Carlos lunged at Lonnie, and then kept one arm locked around the other boy's stomach and elbows while clamping his free hand over Carlos's mouth so all the obscenities he could get out were, "You motherfummmph! MMPH! GMMG MMG MMMPH!"

Carlos continued to struggle and scream into Jay's palm, but Jay was stronger. Lonnie looked shocked, and began to back away.

"Guys don't date each other. That's sick," Jay said calmly.

"N-no it's not! Who you love doesn't matter. But...I'm sorry if I offended you. I didn't mean to." She was still gazing fearfully at Carlos, though she was addressing Jay. Carlos was still fighting to free himself so he could strangle her.

"You should go. He'll calm down faster if the trigger's not around anymore." Lonnie nodded and hurried away.

Jay held on for a while longer, bearing the brunt of kicks and punches, until Carlos's flailing weakened and his muffled expletives ceased. "She's gone, buddy. She didn't mean it. She doesn't know how stupid that was. Just let it go."

When Carlos slumped over, Jay removed his hand from over the boy's mouth. He was breathing hard. "Was she trying to get us killed?"

"I don't think so. I don't know how it works around here." He helped Carlos stand up straight again. "Better?"

"Yeah." Jay knew his fits always left him tired, so he turned around to head back to the building. "No, let's go to tryouts. If we're going to be here so long, we might as well get to hit something, right?"

"Right."

Jay watched him closely as they walked the remaining distance to the tryouts. Carlos seemed more relaxed now that he'd gotten whatever was bothering him out of his system.

"Hey guys! You're just in time." Ben waved them over to where a huddle of boys were waiting. "We're going over the rules first, and then we'll scrimmage. Come meet the team."

Ben introduced everyone, but the tension was still palpable. Carlos and Jay stood noticeably farther from the group than everyone else. Even in deciding teams for the scrimmage game, it was obvious no one wanted the Isle kids around. Jay didn't care. Like Carlos said, he just wanted to hit something.

Jay and Carlos were given tourney sticks - long rods with a wide mouth for the tourney ball. They experimentally threw the ball to each other and caught them with the sticks, finding it easier than it appeared to be. Finally, the teams separated into halves and the game began.

All of Jay's focus narrowed onto the ball. Someone accidentally passed it to him (not like they wanted a villain to participate) and he was off. Players came at him from left, right, and center, but he dodged them. When he entered the kill zone, the yellow area in the middle, discs began flying in his direction. The machines must have had motion sensors. Keeping his tourney stick steady, he flipped through the trajectories of incoming discs, ducking and weaving to avoid getting hit. Then he was past, and all he had to worry about were a few more players from the other team.

He was surprised to find that members of his own team were blocking the opponents to give him a clear path. Jay had never believed one of these preppy jackasses would have helped him with anything, yet here they were. The only obstacle in his path to victory was the goalie. Jay grinned.

He swung his tourney stick with all his might, and the goalie actually jumped out of the way to avoid getting hit with the semi-lethal projectile. The ball hit the net.

All of a sudden, Jay was surrounded by cheers and pats on the back. Smiling, sweating players whose names he didn't even remember congratulated him on a fantastic play.

"Damn, Jay!"

"This one's got talent! We're keeping him!"

"What a GOAL, man!"

It actually felt...good.

Jay smiled and looked for Carlos, who was standing behind the group but looked just as proud as anyone else. That sealed the deal. He liked this game.

"Let me through, boys! Coach coming through!" The only adult on the field pushed through Jay's celebrating team and crossed his arms, looking Jay up and down. "You're from the Isle, right?"

"Yes." Now that this guy was staring disapprovingly at him, Jay deflated a little.

"You're good, kid. A natural. I want you on this team." Jay beamed, but he knew there was something else coming. "You need to learn how to pass to people if they're open, though. This is a team, not an individual effort. Got it?" Jay nodded. "Be here after class tomorrow."

"What about Carlos?" Jay blurted. Everyone turned to look at the shorter boy. "He's the only team I've ever known."

The coach appraised him. "You're fast, I'll give you that. Sure. I'll see you at practice."


	4. Don't You Wanna Be Cruel?

During dinner, the rest of the castle was fairly empty. Mal skipped the meal, quite used to going hungry, and instead ended up in front of her locker. She'd brought along the acrylic paints she and Jay had stolen from the art room the day before.

The medium was new to her, so her tag took longer. But after about a half-hour, her locker boldly declared "Long Live Evil". the L of evil, and Maleficent's corresponding wing, overlapped a little onto Ben's locker. She hoped it would annoy him. Sure, she couldn't curse anyone for fear of being found out...but a little vandalism was to be expected of her, right?

After she had her fun, Mal pocketed the empty tubes of paint and dirty paintbrushes and made her way to the students' kitchen. Again, with dinner going on, no one else would be here making food. She had the place to herself, and there were a variety of objects on which she could practice her magic. Mal produced her mother's spell book, and opened the page to some of the simpler spells.

 _Harken _ _ _ to my command_  
 _Fly, fly into my hand_

Mal looked around and spotted a cookie sheet. Inserting the name of the object into the spell like a Mad Lib, she watched the cookie sheet wobble a little, hover, and then jerkily make its way over to her. Once she was able to grasp it, she walked it back to its shelf, returned to her place, and tried again. Slowly, the resistance the cookie sheet presented began to lessen. Its flight was smoother and quicker.

During one of her attempts, she noticed a movement by the door. Mal quickly grabbed the cookie sheet out of the air and watched the entryway closely. Lonnie popped her head in.

"Mal! What are you doing here? Evie was looking for you at dinner."

"I thought I'd try making something myself," Mal lied easily. "I figured the kitchen would be empty."

"Smart!" Lonnie stepped in, holding a box of food. She spied the cookie sheet in Mal's hand. "What kind of cookies were you going to bake?"

"Um..." Mal cursed in her head. Why couldn't this girl just mind her own business?

"If you haven't decided yet," continued Lonnie, setting her box of food on one of the counters. "I've really been craving chocolate chip. Do you mind if I help make them? They're so delicious right out of the oven!"

The lavender-haired girl eyed the box. "But...were you supposed to get that somewhere?"

"Oh, yeah. My roommate's not feeling well, so I was bringing her dinner. But she's taking a nap. Besides, aren't warm chocolate chip cookies the best medicine for like, anything? Except diabetes?"

"I wouldn't know," said Mal, defeated. "Never had them."

Lonnie gasped so loudly, Mal spun around to see what dangerous creature had crept up behind her. " _Never_? Mal, what do you mean, never? Okay, it's now my personal mission to make these perfect! We'll use my mom's recipe." Lonnie began flinging open cabinets in search of a bowl, and Mal suppressed a groan. So much for practice.

"Can you get the bag of flour from that pantry over there? We'll need two cups. And we'll need two sticks of butter, a bag of chocolate chips, half a cup of..." Mal tried to think about how to get away while her baking partner listed ingredients. "...just a pinch of salt, and - hey, what's this?"

Lonnie had stumbled across Mal's spell book, sitting on a different counter. Mal rushed over to snatch it but Lonnie had already picked it up. "My...journal. I just...it's private."

"Oh! I used to keep a journal too. It helped with my English when we came over from China." She shook her head and handed the book to Mal, unopened. "I remember one time, in like the fifth grade, Audrey got a hold of it and started reading it out loud to everyone, grammar mistakes and all. That was the end of my writing career. So..." Lonnie shrugged. "...you know, keep it safe."

"...Thanks," Mal said slowly. Her biggest secret had been so easily accessible, and Lonnie had just given it back without so much as a peek. This 'kindness' thing was really helpful. "So...Audrey's a real bitch, huh?"

"Mal!" Lonnie covered her own mouth, only moving her fingers aside to say, "That's so mean!"

Mal rolled her eyes. "It's true though, isn't it?"

Lonnie dropped her hands and sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. You know - " She lowered her voice. " - I heard Ben never even asked her out. They've just been family friends forever. She just up and decided that they were dating one day and he went along with it because he's too nice not to." She went back to the cookie recipe, cracking open eggs and pouring contents into a bowl before throwing the shells away. "If I'd known it was that easy, I would've done it. I mean, the guy's gonna be king pretty soon, and he's not too bad to look at, either."

"Yeah," Mal agreed before nearly slapping herself. She flushed in anger, which Lonnie misinterpreted.

"Oooh, Mal! Don't worry, your secret's safe with me!"

"What secret?" Mal grumbled under Lonnie's giggling. "I don't have a secret."

"Sure you don't. You Isle people really don't do romance, do you? I actually..." She'd been stirring the ingredients together, but she stopped. "I actually ran into Jay and Carlos today. I thought those two were really obvious, but they're totally in denial. I think I really hit a nerve when I asked them if they were dating."

Mal was silent for a while, watching the sticks of butter melt in the microwave. It's not like she didn't guess before. Those two needed to be more careful. "I don't know how it is here. I guess it's fine to be gay. But on the Isle, it's not. Gay men are castrated if they're caught. Then if they're lucky, they'll get their wrists sliced open. If they're not, they'll burn alive." She glared at Lonnie, who was staring back open-mouthed. "If you'd said that around anyone else..."

"Why would anyone do that?!"

"Villains," Mal reminded her.

"But...but...you're not on the Isle anymore! You're safe here," Lonnie insisted.

"It's not like we're never going back. Our parents are there." Mal poured the melted butter in with the wet ingredients. "Don't ever mention it again."

"Not even to apologize?"

"Not even to apologize."

"Okay. I'll make it up to them some other way, then," Lonnie decided. "Do you think they've ever had any chocolate chip cookies?"

* * *

Evie had been quite unhappy with the mirror's answer. She'd tried to tell Mal, hoping someone who could actually weave magic would have an answer to their new problem, but couldn't find her anywhere. She ended up back in her own room, waiting for Mal to come home.

Someone knocked - probably not Mal, who had a key. Evie opened the door to find a rather sweaty, gross-looking Carlos and Jay, and a younger girl she'd never met.

"Hey Evie. Just wanted to introduce you to my new friend Jane. I know she looks too young to go to Auradon Prep, but she's Fairy Godmother's daughter so she can basically do whatever she wants," Carlos said quickly. Evie stared with a blank expression. Was this a kidnapping?

"Not really." The girl was extremely shy. She hadn't met Evie's eyes once, and only glanced up when Evie wasn't looking at her. "Carlos was right. You are really pretty. He said...he said you could make me pretty too."

Oh. So not a kidnapping, then. Evie smiled. "Thanks, sweetheart. Of course! Come on in. I'm sure you're sick of spending time with these guys who clearly need a shower."

Jay grinned. "Sorry. Tourney tryouts. We'll come back after we've cleaned up."

"See you in a bit, Jane," Carlos told her as the two jogged away. Evie closed the door behind them.

"Let's start with those eyebrows." The girl was rather plain; her hair was a dull brown and its cut did nothing to frame her face. She had wide set brown eyes, a prominent nose, and thin lips. Her skin looked fairly clear, though. Evie plucked a few stray hairs, ignoring Jane's yelps of pain.

"Now, this foundation is for my skin tone, so it'll be a tad light on you. That's okay, though, we can use that to contour your face." Evie dabbed a little liquid onto Jane's cheek and began blending it with a brush. "If you don't mind me asking, can't your mom just magically make you look however you want to look?"

"No." Jane's shoulder's sagged. "I mean, she could, but she won't. I've asked her before. She just says stuff about how 'beauty comes from the inside'." Her pout told Evie exactly what she thought of that. "She doesn't get that boys don't talk to you if you're only beautiful on the inside."

"Most adults don't." Evie's mother being the exception.

"Is your hair really blue?"

Evie smoothed some primer over Jane's eyelids. "No. It's black. I dyed it." The Evil Queen, funnily enough, was not a fan of 'hair as black as night'. At least Evie's skin was darker than snow.

"That's so cool."

The door opened, and the smell of chocolate immediately hit them as Mal walked in with a plate of cookies. She stopped and stared. "What's going on here?"

Jane retreated into a hunched position, shy again. Evie continued to apply eyeshadow. "Hi Mal. Jane, this is my roommate. Mal, this is Jane. She and I were just talking about how her mom, Fairy Godmother, won't magically make Jane look the way she wants. How unfair is that?"

Mal seemed to get the message. "Really unfair." She set the plate down in front of the two of them. "I brought cookies."

That broke the ice. "Oh, yum!" said Jane enthusiastically, reaching for one. Evie slapped her hand.

"You'll smear your lipstick." _You stupid girl_ , she wanted to add. Evie was surprised at how much like her mother she sounded. Jane decided to forego the cookie for now.

"Are Carlos and Jay coming around?"

"Yeah. They just went to shower. Now everyone quiet." Evie had always needed absolute silence to draw the perfect winged eyeliner. It took serious concentration. After a few minutes, she relaxed. "Okay. Now just some mascara…" She made Jane look towards the ceiling and brushed her eyelashes. "And you're done!" As important as Jane was to this mission, Evie wasn't going to waste a pair of falsies on her.

Jane turned to the mirror and gasped. "Oh, Evie…" She looked markedly different. Much better, in Evie's opinion. Evie had removed her headband and moved her part to the side, giving her hair more volume. A smoky eye had taken away some of her deer-in-headlights vibe. Her cheekbones had been defined, her nose shrunk, and her lips painted a deep plum. She no longer looked thirteen; she could have passed for a student at Auradon Prep.

"Do you like it?" asked Evie, the pride in her tone indicating she already knew the answer.

"I love it!" Jane smiled. "Do you think Carlos will like it?"

Mal and Evie exchanged glances. "Honey, Carlos is too old for you. It'd be a little weird if he started hanging out with a middle school girl. Let's start with guys your own age. Do you know any?"

"Oh." Her excitement died down. "No. My mom's having me home-schooled until I can enroll here."

Mal seized the opportunity. "She's kind of ruining your life, Jane."

"I know!" For the first time, the girl did not look so timid. "She doesn't get it. Maybe everyone doesn't want to be smart and kind and talented. Some of us just want to be _noticed_."

The older girls pretended to think. "You know, if she used that wand, you wouldn't even have to put on makeup. You'd look gorgeous every day without trying," Mal commented.

"Guys would fall over themselves trying to get a look at you," added Evie with a giggle.

Jane sighed heavily. "She won't listen to me, though. She only uses the wand for really special occasions."

Evie winked at Mal. "What kind of special occasions?"

"You know. Like Prince Ben's coronation in a few weeks. Big stuff like that. And she doesn't even do any magic with it, she just pokes people. It's so stupid."

A few weeks was still too long. It wasn't any better than their previous plan. "Any other special occasions coming up?"

"I don't think so."

Upon hearing a knock at the door, Mal got up and opened it. Carlos and Jay entered, wearing identical surprised expressions at Jane's transformation.

"Wow, Jane! You look great!"

Jane blushed. "Thanks."

"Jane, why don't you show your mom all of this?" Mal gestured at Jane's face. "When she sees how confident you are, she'll probably change her mind."

The other girl's eyes brightened. "You think so?"

"Worth a shot, isn't it?"

She flounced out of her chair. "I'm going to try! I'll keep you guys updated!" Jay opened the door for her, and she practically ran out. Evie knew Mal was not holding out for that plan. Jane would likely get yelled at instead of listened to. But at least she was gone.

"Anything?" Jay asked.

Evie sighed. "Not really. But I'm glad you guys are here. We need to talk."

* * *

The wand was locked in an underground vault, hundreds of feet beneath them. Magical barriers as well as physical ones protected it—the vault's walls were six inches of dwarf-made steel. Evie hadn't seen the magical obstacles but assumed they were there, as the wand was floating with no apparent string or stand to hold it in place.

Three of them looked to Mal, who shook her head. "The best I can do right now is summon things that I can see. Even then, they have to have a completely unimpeded path and be only a short distance away. I need time to practice." She buried her face in her hands and mumbled, "A _lot_ of time."

"So what are you baking cookies for?" Carlos accused, stuffing two aforementioned cookies into his mouth. "We thought you didn't come to dinner because you were working on your magic."

"I was," replied Mal, annoyed. "I got interrupted by Lonnie. Who told me, by the way, that you blew up at her."

Carlos was silenced immediately.

"You need to control yourself. You could have jeopardized this mission."

"Mal," Jay warned. "You know he can't help it."

"Well, you better _learn_ to help it. If you beat someone half to death, they'll kick us out of here. And I'm not going home empty handed. Are you?" Mal snarled.

An image flashed in front of Carlos's eyes—Cruella screeching in anger when she learned he didn't have the wand. He wouldn't survive that.

"No," he answered quietly.

"Don't do it again," Mal threatened quietly. "I don't care how you stop yourself, but if I hear about you putting a finger on anyone else - "

"What are you going to do, Mal?" Jay challenged her. Carlos had never seen him angry before. He stared at his taller friend with wide eyes.

"Don't get me started on you. She told me _why_ Carlos blew up too. What do you think's going to happen on the island when word gets back that you two are - "

Several things happened at once. Jay lunged at Mal, who flung out a hand to stop him. Evie got up to intervene and Carlos tried to hold Jay back, but none of it was necessary. Jay seemed to stop in mid-air, gagging and clutching at his throat. Before any of them knew it, he was on his knees. The choking sounds coming from him were deafening to Carlos. There was nothing around his neck, but he was desperately trying to claw something off.

Mal was watching him in shock. Carlos shouted to get her attention, and she looked at him helplessly.

"Mal, stop!"

"I…" She'd lowered her hands. "I don't know how…"

"Mal!" screamed Evie. Jay's eyes were bulging.

This time, Carlos was the one who attacked her. He delivered a swift punch to Mal's stomach, which knocked the wind out of her and toppled her onto her backside. The momentary distraction worked. Jay gasped for air and fell back.

"Jay? Are you okay? Jay?" Evie hooked an arm behind his neck and lifted his head onto her lap. Carlos did not spare a second for Mal. He squatted by Jay's side, comforted by the rise and fall of his chest.

"I'm fine." His voice was hoarse and low. He coughed, and then went back to breathing deeply. "What the hell, Mal?"

Mal had not moved from her spot on the floor, still staring with disbelief into empty space. She must have scared even herself. Wordless magic was powerful. Sure, Mal had accidentally set the curtains on fire before, but this had intent. She could kill someone with just a look, as Jay had very nearly found out.

"Mal?" Evie said softly.

"I couldn't stop it. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know that would happen." Carlos wasn't sure who she was talking to. Jay? Evie? Herself?

Jay tried to sit up, and coughed some more. Carlos offered his assistance, but Jay waved it off. "Who's jeopardizing the mission now?"

He had every right to be angry. Mal had cut off his air supply for a good minute. But something told Carlos she wasn't registering his taunt right now. She was stock-still, lost in her own world. None of them had ever experienced guilt before. It didn't look pretty.

"Mal, sweetie…" Evie approached her now that Jay was off her lap, but Mal came to at once and scurried backwards.

"Don't come near me! Any of you!"

Carlos was aware that Mal had her own set of unspoken rules. He didn't know where they came from, but she had demonstrated them enough for him to catch on. She'd used her lineage and her flashing green eyes to ward off many a threat to her group before. Whenever Mal was around, she wouldn't allow anyone to intentionally hurt any of the three of them. Mal and Jay were the only two reasons Carlos was alive right now, though hell knew Cruella had tried to kill him enough. But now Mal had attacked one of her own.

"Mal…"

She clambered to her feet and slipped through them, leaving the room without another word.

Jay sighed. His voice had not yet returned to normal. "Well, if she can do that, she can probably get the wand from the safe." As an afterthought, he mumbled, "Crazy bitch."

"What are we going to do?" asked Carlos.

"Do you guys think we should leave her alone?"

"No. I'll find her." Jay stood up too.

"No way. You need to stay here. You sound like a dying horse!" Carlos argued.

"Like you know what a horse sounds like."

"Goddammit Jay, catch your breath!"

"Consider it caught." He was already back to his easygoing self, half-smile and all. "She needs to know I'm okay. We can't have her freaking out like this or we're never getting that wand home."

* * *

Jay was quicker than her. By the time he'd exited the dormitory, he could hear the pitter-patter of Mal's running feet. The foyer was otherwise empty. A door slammed to his right, so he followed the noise.

He caught up with Mal near a grove of trees behind the school. He could see the tourney field to his left. The coach had hailed the benefits of working as a team, but didn't mention all the harms.

"My mother always said that loyalty can be bought with death threats." Mal didn't turn around, but she knew he was there. She sat cross-legged on the grass.

Jay remained standing behind her and crossed his arms. "I'm not loyal to you because you nearly killed me. I'm loyal to you _despite_ you nearly killing me."

She was quiet for a while.

"What I said to Carlos wasn't fair."

"Clearly, we all have things we can't control," Jay agreed. "We're just going to have to work around them." He finally sat down next to her. "What are we going to do about the wand?"

Mal shrugged. "Wait for Ben's coronation, I guess. Fairy Godmother'll bring it out then."

"When is that?"

"Jane said a few weeks."

Jay ran a hand through his hair. He knew he could handle that, but what about the others? "We should find a way to get it out before then."

"There is no other way." Mal sighed in frustration. "I'm just not…if my mother was here, she would know how to do it. She would be strong enough and skilled enough."

"You've had magic for a day, Mal. Cut yourself some slack. You're only going to get better."

"Or worse." She picked at the grass. "If we fail..."

"We're not going to fail."

"But if we do...some of us are going to die." Jay knew she was talking about Carlos. At the same time, though, he wondered what Maleficent would do to Mal in the event that her plan went awry. Or what the Auradonian authorities would do.

"You're worried about us."

Mal glanced sharply at him. Neither of them would have called the other a friend. Jay was pretty sure Mal didn't consider _anyone_ a friend. All the same, he realized that somewhere, deep down in that black heart of hers, she might actually care about them as more than a means to an end.

"Why?" he prodded.

"Why? Because this is going to be the biggest heist in recent history. The wand is so well-protected it's pretty much impossible to steal. And I really, really don't think we can do it, but we don't have a choice."


	5. Mirror Mirror On The Wall

**Tomorrow! Hoping the sequel doesn't leave me too disillusioned to finish this story. The sequel will probably not be featured in this story, btw.**

* * *

Despite the tension between the four of them, Mal was amazed at how much the chocolate chip cookies improved everyone's mood. They were divine. Once she and Jay had returned to her room, the cookies had disappeared in five minutes flat. They'd gone their separate ways significantly less angry with each other, and Mal had a good night's sleep for the first time in a while.

Her mood only got better when she walked the hallways of the building before classes. People were walking in a wide arc to get as far away from Mal's locker as possible, as if she'd cursed it (she hadn't, yet). Only one person stood staring for a few seconds at the graffiti that covered her (and part of his) locker.

"What do you think?"

Mal smirked at Ben's expression. He didn't take his eyes off of it.

"Mal...this is... _amazing_."

She had not been expecting that. "What?"

"I mean, I've never seen Maleficent in person but the silhouette looks perfect. And did you make this gradient just by mixing green and yellow a bunch of different ways? How did you get it to be so smooth?" He leaned in closer to inspect it. "These lines are so clean. You _had_ to have used some kind of straightedge. Although how you did the curves of some of these letters is beyond me."

He wasn't supposed to be impressed, he was supposed to be _angry_. How could someone look at something that literally said 'Long Live Evil' and see past it, to the skill it took to put there? Mal crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What are you, some kind of art buff?" Somehow, though, she found his appreciation sort of gratifying. It _had_ taken her a long time to get the gradient just right. She got an unfamiliar, warm feeling in her whole body when he continued praising the tag.

"No. But you could be. You should sign up for art classes here." He brightened, as if inspired by his own idea, and finally looked at her. His gaze was strange, though, as if she was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen. "You'll only have missed a day or two. And you're really talented. This is so much better than half the art I've seen people produce around here, and it's vandalism."

Mal raised her eyebrows. His compliment hadn't gone unnoticed by her, but she was more interested in his insult. "I didn't know King Butterfly had any snark in him."

"It's Prince Butterfly," Ben corrected without missing a beat. "And yeah. Snark's given where snark's deserved."

"Hmm." Mal opened up her locker to retrieve the books she'd need, but also so she could turn away from him. That look of his was making her face feel even warmer, and this seemed like a bad time to breathe fire. "You know, Ben, that's a side of you I could almost tolerate."

Ben laughed. "Can't have that, can we?" Before walking off, he rapped his knuckles on her tag and said, "Sign up for the art classes. Okay?"

"I don't take orders from you."

"Yes you do," he called over his shoulder. "I'm Prince Butterfly."

Mal let out a quick breath of air that could have been interpreted as a short laugh, if the interpreter wished to die a slow and painful death.

* * *

"Evie, can I talk to you before you leave?" asked Mr. Daley.

Evie had spent the class making googly-eyes at Chad and ignoring Doug, who'd had the gall to sit next to her again. Granted, his presence had been helpful when it came to actually doing the titration the lesson required, but other than that he was seven kinds of annoying.

"Um, okay." Evie forlornly waved good-bye to Chad and stopped by Mr. Delay's desk at the front of the room. "Yes?"

"Well, Evie, I have to say I'm astonished." Mr. Delay pulled up her test from the day before, with a big red "100" on it. "I've never had a student who aced the pre-test before."

 _Shit!_ Evie thought, trying not to appear as frantic as she felt. _How completely stupid!_ She should have answered some of the questions wrong, at least. Now he'd figure out she'd been using the mirror and who knew what he did to cheaters.

"I had no idea you were so advanced. I'm going to be recommending that you move up to a higher level chemistry course."

"No!" Evie replied much too quickly. Mr. Daley raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I'm really not all that good. I just...the test was multiple choice and I guessed on a lot of them." It was a terrible excuse, but she couldn't risk being transferred. This was the only class she had with Chad.

"What a remarkable coincidence." Mr. Daley wasn't buying it. "Even at the end of this class students very rarely get a perfect score on this sort of cumulative exam. I highly doubt that - "

"I'm really good at taking tests," she interrupted. "Always have been. But like I said, it's just guessing." He still seemed unconvinced. "I wouldn't feel comfortable in a higher level class at all. I mean, what even is a covalent bond, right?"

He chuckled. "Very funny, Evie." She hadn't been joking, but at least he was considering her point of view. "Well, I'm not very happy that you were guessing. Next time, on a pre-test, leave the questions you aren't sure about blank. It would've helped me figure out the areas in which you need work. But, I can understand not having the confidence to take on too much at a new school, so I'm not going to push you. If you do start to feel like you're getting bored in this class, would you let me know?"

"Yes, of course." Evie faked a smile. Now he thought she was some sort of genius. Great. If he ever found how behind she was, he'd know she cheated. And on a pre-test of all things. It didn't even count towards her grade.

"Okay. Run along. I'm looking forward to this year; I can't remember the last time I had a chemistry prodigy in my class."

 _Prodigy?_ She was in so much trouble. Evie supposed it was a good thing she would end up doing both Chad's homework and her own. She was going to need the extra practice to keep this lie going.

* * *

"Welcome back," said Fairy Godmother, sounding a little irritated. "I trust you all had a good first day?"

"Sure did," answered Carlos dryly.

"Well, I see your good deeds have already begun accumulating. My daughter was quite excited about the makeover you gave her." The older woman looked pointedly at Evie. "However, I must ask you to refrain from doing that again. I am trying to instill an appreciation of character over beauty in her, and that was not helpful."

"Why not both?" argued Jay.

"Some things are more important than others." She sighed. "I know this may sound strange to you. I hope that by the end of this course you will understand what I mean. So, let's get started!" She pointed at the board for the question of the day. "How would you respond to someone attempting to engage in gossip with you? A) Respond with information that you have on the gossip victim, B) Listen and state your opinions on the information presented, C) Say nothing, D) Politely excuse yourself from the conversation, E) Point out the gossiper's poor moral choices."

The four looked at each other. "I feel like it could be C, D, or E," said Carlos. "Is this a trick question?"

"I feel like it is," Jay said, playing off of him. "There should be another option."

"F) Gossip doesn't really matter when your daughter's perpetually unhappy."

Fairy Godmother pursed her lips. "Now, boys. These are my family affairs, and are not up for discussion."

"But we just don't get it," pressed Evie. "You could just wave that wand of yours and she'd be so much happier. Isn't that what people off the Isle do? Try to make each other happy all the time?"

"And it's not even that much work," Mal continued. "What's stopping you? Unless...I thought only villains didn't care about their children."

"That is quite enough!" The headmistress frowned at all of them. "I see that our lesson for today must center around hurtful words and their impact. We will take the situation we have right now. How many of you are aware of the nuances of parenting? How many of you have been successful in raising a child?"

Carlos knew she was trying to shame them; too bad they didn't care. "So how is keeping her ugly 'good parenting'?"

"First of all, my daughter is not ugly. We do not say rude things about other people. Secondly, good looks do not last forever. Intelligence, skill, kindness - these are things that cannot be taken away."

"Looks last a long time, though," Jay pointed out.

"Magically, you could make them last forever," said Mal.

"Lots of people lose their minds. There goes intelligence."

"And some skill. Other skills are lost all the time, like when people get crippled."

"Oh yeah, like how - "

"Silence!" Fairy Godmother thundered. The four kids were so surprised, they actually shut up. "Your words demonstrate a villain's way of thinking. To succeed in Auradon, you will need to completely change the way you see the world. The fact is, that you are much more likely to age out of your looks than you are to lose intelligence or kindness. Would any of you like to contest that point?"

They exchanged glances. "I still don't see why she can't have both," said Jay.

"She will get caught up in the glamour of one and lose sight of things of more value," Fairy Godmother said dismissively.

"I think she's pretty caught up in it already. She doesn't think about much else except how miserable she is because she isn't pretty," observed Evie.

"Guys, I think I'm going to have to politely excuse myself from this conversation. It's starting to sound like gossip," drawled Mal.

Fairy Godmother closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. "As it happens, that was the correct answer, Mal. We will have no more discussion of Jane today. Back to the lesson."

Carlos smirked inwardly. A few more days like this, and Fairy Godmother would have no choice but to break out the wand.

* * *

Jay roughly elbowed Chad out of the way and side-stepped Ben on his way to the other team's goal. Cries of "Pass it here, Jay! Pass!" followed him, but he ignored them. He was already past the kill zone, and he wasn't afraid of a few prissy princes. Shouldering through the opposing team's last defenses, he slung the ball at the goal and threw his tourney stick down in victory.

Except when he looked back, his team wasn't celebrating.

"Jay, dude, you've gotta pass the ball. You're not a one-man team!" complained one of the guys.

"Agreed." The coach did not look happy. "Jay, you need to learn how to work with your teammates. I don't want to have to create exercises just to teach you that. When you're being hounded on all sides, accept that fact."

"But I made the goal, didn't I?" Jay argued.

"The game isn't just about winning," the coach explained patiently. "It's about growing as an athlete and a person. It's about creating bonds with your teammates, pushing your limits, learning strategy, and having fun."

Jay rolled his eyes. Of course they were pushing this mushy stuff. He tried to see what Carlos thought of this, but he could only see the back of Carlos's head. The boy was looking over one shoulder and then the other, scanning the general vicinity for...something. Now that Jay thought about it, Carlos had been doing that ever since they'd stepped outside.

"He's never going to get it, Coach," said Chad. "You can't play him next week."

"What's next week?"

"Our first game," said the coach grimly. "And Chad's right. If you're going to insist on ignoring the rest of your team, I can't put you in. Doesn't matter how good you are."

"This is bullshit." Jay didn't know why he was so pissed off. It was a stupid game.

But he was just so _good_ at it. And he'd been valued for it. Until now.

"I don't need to be in your dumbass game," said Jay, turning around. "Or on your team." He began walking away as the team broke into whispers behind him.

"Jay! Hold up a sec." Ben jogged to catch up with him. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing." Carlos caught up with them too, walking on Jay's other side. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not doing that without you," Carlos said. "I'd probably be on the bench the whole time anyway."

"That's not true," Ben argued. "Both of you are important to the team. We wouldn't have picked you if you weren't."

"You picked me because I'm good at it." Jay stopped walking. "If you're not going to let me do it my way - "

"You're good, Jay, that's true. But you're not perfect." Ben crossed his arms. "You're slower than Carlos. You don't know strategy as well as I do. You aren't as strong as Damien. And no one even knows how good your aim is because you've never passed it, or made a goal from farther than ten feet away." Jay and Carlos gaped at him. "Sorry, Jay, but as team captain I've got to be straightforward with you sometimes. You're welcome to leave, but you're also welcome to stay and improve. The guys respect you. Both of you," he continued, looking at Carlos. "But if you don't respect them back, we'll suck as a team and lose more than we win. Understand?"

"To be honest, not really." Carlos shrugged.

Sadness flitted through Ben's eyes, but he explained patiently, "The point of having a team is to add up our strengths and cancel out our weaknesses. You find where you fit in, what you bring to the table. It's all about being part of something bigger than yourself. Give it a chance, you'll see." He looked back at the team, the members of which were watching them unabashedly. "Why don't we have a team bonding session? Just a guys' night, with video games and pizza, before school gets too crazy."

Carlos looked at Jay. "We have a console in our room."

"We all do," said Ben. "But I think it'd be good for you guys to host. You're the ones who need to get to know everyone. I'll help you out." Ben clapped Jay and Carlos on the back cheerily, inadvertently forcing them to take a step back towards the field. "This is gonna be great!"

Jay had his doubts. Nevertheless, he went back to Mal and Evie's room after his shower to tell them. "Is there any way this works out for us?" asked Carlos.

"Not that I can see." Mal turned sharply away from whatever she was drawing and towards Evie. "Don't!"

Evie had been holding up her magic mirror. "What?"

"Don't change it." The mirror currently featured a live-stream of the wand, safely tucked away in its vault. "If we're going to wear her down, she might take it out at any time. We have to keep watching."

"No way, Mal. I need this for my chemistry homework!"

"Use your book. And the internet."

"What, you mean like, _study_?"

"Mal," Carlos said mildly. "You don't really expect us to keep an eye on it all the time, do you? I mean, we have to sleep and stuff..."

"In shifts." Mal's voice was ice cold. "And I do expect it. From all of you. Don't forget, we're not here to get good grades or play sports..." She looked down at the sketchbook in her hands and closed it (with some difficulty, Jay thought). "...Or anything else. Stealing the wand is all that matters."


	6. Who's The Baddest Of Them All?

**The movie was great! Cameron Boyce is so good at dancing. Also a few of the ideas I had for this story were in there...so you'll probably see some repetition. Sorry :(**

* * *

Mal was still getting those dreams. That crown was within her reach.

Except now someone was wearing it. Ben was laughing at her. There was sun glinting off the gold and jewels. _Give it to me!_ Mal screeched. He just kept laughing.

And she woke up. Her alarm clock read 4:35 a.m. Evie was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to hers.

Quietly, Mal slipped out of bed and crept over to the door. Curfew wouldn't be over until five, but Mal didn't care. She padded down the hallway with bare feet, crossed the common room, and headed into the boys' dormitory.

Carlos opened when she knocked at the door. "You're early," he yawned.

"Well, I'm up now. I can take it." Carlos handed her the mirror he'd been holding and didn't even bother to close the door before he jumped onto his bed and passed out. Mal closed the door slowly behind him and walked back to her room. The mirror still showed the wand right where it was supposed to be.

For the millionth time since they'd started shifts, Mal wondered if this was a good idea. The awkward time period between one and five, when no one wanted to be awake, was going to kill them. Shifts were not the end-all solution Mal had been hoping for. And this was just day one.

They could work on blending in until the coronation instead, she reasoned. Their parents would be apoplectic by the time the wait was over, but at least she would know the exact time the wand would be out of the vault.

Sometimes she wished other people would make these decisions for her.

Mal worked on her math homework until Evie woke up, and then opened up her spell book. Evie disappeared into the bathroom.

 _That which is missing, bring it here_

 _Make an Auradonion dollar appear._

A thin blue piece of paper materialized on her desk. It was blank. Mal sighed. "Let's try this again. That which is missing, bring it here/Make an Auradonian dollar appear." Her voice held more conviction, and it showed. The blue dollar, with a picture of King Adam smack dab in the middle of it, looked identical to the spare few Mal carried around.

She kept practicing, adding in twenties and fifties, until Evie came out of the bathroom. "Uh, Mal? Where did all this money come from?"

"I was trying out this manifestation spell. Might be useful. Anyway, I thought you might prefer money to fifty spiders crawling around."

"I do." Evie picked up a dollar bill. "Looks real. I'll definitely be spending this."

"Fine. Just not this one." Mal pointed at her first attempt.

"Do you know if you're making them out of thin air, or if you're getting them from someone's pocket?" Evie asked with a smirk.

"No idea." Mal flipped to a different page. "What should I try next? Forgetfulness or object enchantment?"

"Object enchantment," said Evie decisively. "Then you can make your own magic mirror."

Mal frowned at her. "I meant making brooms sweep and stuff. I can't just instill a knowledge of the entire world in a mirror on whim. I'm pretty sure no one's made a magic mirror for at least a hundred years."

Evie sighed. "Worth a shot." She sat down at the dresser. "Make this hairbrush brush my hair."

Mal looked down at her book, and then pointed at the hairbrush.

 _Tool of the hand, tool of the mind_

 _Carry out the function that you are assigned_

The brush jumped off the dresser and began attacking Evie's head, mostly just hitting her multiple times on the scalp. Evie yelped and fought it off, but it was determined.

Mal almost smiled. "I almost never get it right the first time. Return to the state from which you were driven/Release the magic that you were given."

The brush dropped back onto the dresser. Evie's hair looked like a bird's nest. She was not happy. Giving Mal a telling, "Hmph!" she proceeded to brush her hair without any magical aid. Mal looked around for other objects to enchant.

 _Tool of the hand, tool of the mind_

 _Carry out the function that you are assigned_

Her bed covers flapped around wildly. Mal had been hoping to make her bed.

"You suck at this."

"I'd like to see _you_ try."

"I think you should stick to baking."

Mal enchanted Evie's lipstick in revenge, and the poor girl looked like a crime scene before Mal relinquished control of the tube.

* * *

The two girls eventually calmed down and made a half-hearted effort to clean up the room (the blankets had been flailing the whole time and had created just as much destruction has Mal had). Evie, who'd been laughing by the end, actually got some lip stain on the tip of Mal's nose and it refused to come off.

"You are so dead after class," threatened Mal. The effect was mostly dampened by her furious nose-rubbing.

Evie giggled. "Whatever you say, Rudolph."

Mal was merely pretending to be angry, like she did every time she was in a good mood. Evie wondered how good of a mood it was, though, and decided to test it out as they walked to their lockers.

"Mal, look. I know you want us to watch the wand at all times, and I get it. Really. But...I need that mirror more than you know."

Her companion's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

Evie haltingly told the whole story of how she'd used it on her pre-test and what was at stake if Mr. Delay found out she had been cheating. By the end, Mal was livid.

"Why would you be so _stupid_? And _careless_? Didn't we talk about blending in? And you thought the best way to do that was to get yourself kicked out?"

"I know, but I really wanted to stay in that class because...because of Chad..." Evie desperately hoped Mal had not figured out how to spit fire yet. "And besides, it's not like you're blending in either!" She gestured at Mal's locker in the distance.

"Decorating lockers isn't against the rules, you idiot," Mal hissed. "And the paint is washable. Don't you think I checked beforehand? I'm not a complete airhead like _you_."

Evie swallowed and looked away. Her most recent mistake? Thinking Mal would understand. Forgetting they were only working together, that they weren't friends.

"I'll just keep studying," she responded.

"Get someone to help you if you need it," Mal said gruffly. "And pay attention to the rules. Don't break any more. We can't afford _any_ slip-ups. Get it?" Evie nodded, eager to get away from Mal as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the person she needed to speak to next was just as unsavory.

She found him rushing out of the music room after early morning band practice. "Doug!"

He turned around and grinned. "Hey Evie. How are you?"

"Listen." She pushed her thoughts on his too-big khakis to the back of her mind. "I think we should study for chemistry together."

She couldn't believe those words were coming out of her mouth, and apparently, neither could he. "Really?"

"Yes. Do you want to or not?"

"Sure! Yeah, sure." He was clutching his backpack strap so hard his knuckles were turning white. "Um, when? Where?"

"I don't know, later. After school. In the library, I guess." Evie sighed. The things she was putting herself through for this heist.

"Okay. I'll see you in class!" Doug practically skipped away. At least someone's day was going well.

* * *

Ben had convinced the coach to cancel practice for the impromptu pizza party. It hadn't taken much work; the coach could see that the team dynamic needed immediate improvement. After class, the prince had come over the Jay and Carlos's room, ordered pizza and soda, and helped move in some chairs from the common area between the two dormitories.

Guys from the team came pouring in around four. Pretty soon, the room was filled to capacity with Auradon Prep's tourney team. The smell of pizza and the promise of testosterone-fueled competition had everyone revved up. Ben had gotten Jay and Carlos into a conversation with Taylor and Damien, and then just allowed things to flow from there. They had 'flowed' into several wrestling matches, a couple of eating contests, and one dance battle. Pretty soon, a video game tournament had started up. Someone even made a bracket.

Carlos had joined the small crowd of boys huddled around the couch to wait for their turn and cheer on whoever was currently playing. He was surprised at how easy and enjoyable this was. On the island, get-togethers always had the menacing air of a plot about to be hatched. He didn't really remember having fun, unless he counted laughing with Jay at other people's expense. Now, though, games were only interrupted by people calling, "Hey, Carlos!" or "Great party, man!" (It wasn't exactly how he envisioned a party, but for these guys it must've been pretty wild.) More importantly, he was getting to know people and they actually made him feel...comfortable.

"How much do you guys wanna bet Jay wipes the floor with Chad?" yelled Emmett. Comfortable did not mean peaceful.

Carlos laughed. "On this game? Please. Jay can't play for shit."

"Obviously!" Chad taunted. He was expertly handling the controller; he'd clearly done this before.

"Screw you Chad!" hollered Jay as his virtual car raced past the other boy's.

"I don't think so, Isle brat!" Chad's car rammed into Jay's, sending it spinning. Chad crossed the finish line first and pumped his fist in victory. Jay was crossed off the bracket.

"Come on!" he complained, handing the controller to someone else. He pushed his way through people to find Carlos and clapped him on the shoulder. "You have to win this for us, buddy."

"Great," Carlos replied sarcastically. "Because I've had so much practice on this thing." Carlos was far more interested in the pizza. He hadn't realized it was possible to be in love with a food. Yet, here was perfection, cut up into eight slices.

"Careful, man," Jay warned, noticing how much Carlos was eating. "Remember what happened last time?"

Carlos shrugged, swallowing the bite in his mouth before replying, "That was days ago. We can eat whatever we want now."

Jay didn't look so convinced. But instead of arguing, he lifted his hand to Carlos's face and wiped a little bit of pizza sauce from the corner of Carlos's mouth with his thumb. For a moment, both of the boys were frozen. Carlos was sure even his heart wasn't beating anymore.

Then Jay blinked, and Carlos cleared his throat, and they both took steps away from each other.

Carlos pretended to be interested in the current match-up. He just needed a moment to remind himself what was acceptable and what wasn't. Sharing a room with Jay hadn't been much of a problem, mostly because both of them kept in mind how they needed to behave. But there was something about being around these people, this team, that made him feel like he wasn't being watched all the time. Like no one would hurt him. Like he could be himself.

He really needed to _not_ get used to feeling that way.

* * *

Ben stayed after the party to help clean up. "How do you guys think it went?"

"Pretty good," said Jay. "It turns out, not all of you royal pains in the ass are wimps."

Ben chuckled. "Glad you think so. Carlos? How about you?"

"Yeah." The boy was distracted, checking every pizza box for leftover slices. He found none. "Pizza's amazing."

"It sure is." Ben left with the last of the common room chairs and came back to appraise the pizza crust- and cup-covered floor. Jay wasn't as alarmed. He kicked all of the trash into a pile and then shoved it into a bag. Carlos found a vacuum in their closet. Within a half-hour, the place looked more or less like there hadn't been sixteen teenage boys running around in it for hours.

Ben settled on the couch. "You guys up for one more game? I don't think I played either of you."

Jay shrugged. "Sure. Three way race?"

"There are other games on this, you know." Ben navigated to a menu that Jay hadn't known was there, and scrolled through a list of options. "How about this one?"

"Hmm." Jay couldn't resist the opportunity to make fun of the prince. "A good-guy-beats-up-bad-guy game, huh?"

"Well...yeah," Ben said, shifting a little. "Everyone here plays as the good guys..."

"Of course. Guess we have to too, huh?" Jay elbowed Carlos, who grinned.

"No way. I don't think we qualify."

Ben was clearly struggling with his words. "You guys don't strike me as _bad_ , you know?"

"Um, I think we're as bad as it gets," Carlos pointed out.

"No way," Ben insisted. "You guys like video games and tourney, just like every other guy here. Evie's only ever been nice, at least to me. And Mal...I mean, she's got those big eyes and the purple hair and she's so _short_ it's kind of adorable. She reminds me of some kind of angry pixie."

Carlos and Jay exchanged looks for a split second before bursting into laughter, much to Ben's surprise. Carlos doubled over, holding his sides, and Jay gasped through his hysterics, "She...is...going...to...kill...you!"

Carlos sucked in the biggest breath he could before cracking up again. "She'll literally...slit your...your throat!"

"Um..." Ben raised his voice so he could be heard over the mirth. "Does she not like pixies?"

The boys waited for their laughter to die down before answering. "You owe us so much for not telling her that."

"Like, your life," added Jay.

"She's not a pixie," Carlos clarified for the resident idiot. "Mal's a _dragon_."

"Maleficent can turn into a dragon. Mal's not even an adult."

"She's scary enough to be a dragon. Either way, I don't think anyone's _ever_ had the balls to call her adorable before. I mean, it makes sense if you're suicidal, but..."

"Not even when she was a kid?" Ben asked incredulously. "I got called adorable _way_ past the age where it was okay for people to do that."

"Dude. Still a dragon."

"Yeah but like...there's not even any magic on the Isle of the Lost. She's never even turned into a dragon before, has she?"

"No," admitted Jay. "But when she's angry, her eyes will glow green. Like you said, magic is suppressed on the island, but she and her mom were still powerful enough to do a little. You just don't mess with people like that."

Ben was silent for a few moments as each of the boys picked their characters and the battleground they wanted as their setting. Finally, he said, "I can't even imagine what it's like to be a little kid and know everyone is scared of you." Jay and Carlos just shrugged. "What about her dad? He must've treated her like a kid, right?"

"Oh, no," said Carlos dismissively. The game began, and the three of them furiously pressed various buttons on their controllers. "He was dead meat the minute Maleficent found out he'd gotten her pregnant. I'm guessing that wasn't in the master plan."

Ben's fingers slowed. "She killed him?"

"Duh."

"What about you guys? You have other parents, right?"

"Not really," Jay said, never taking his eyes off the screen. "It's anyone's guess who Evie's dad is, her mom slept around so much. My mom left; she's with some other guy on the island and they had a few kids but most of them died young."

Carlos raised his eyebrows, though he also kept his attention on the game. "I didn't know that, about your mom." He sounded kind of hurt. To be fair, he'd never really asked, or Jay would've told him.

"I used visit her. I don't anymore." Jay's character sliced Carlos's with a sword, although in the PG graphics of the game it merely looked like he'd hit the other player with the flat side of the weapon. Regardless, Carlos died and had to respawn.

"Her kids died young?" Ben pressed.

"Yeah. Some got sick, some just starved. I think one got killed in some gang violence."

Another moment without conversation. "What about you, Carlos?" If Jay had been paying attention, he would have thought Ben's voice sounded a little shaky.

Carlos gave a short bark of laughter. "My dad? There's no way my mom remembers where she buried the body."

"Pieces of the body, more like," Jay said, scowling as his character died via Carlos's act of vengeance.

"True. And she probably just tossed them somewhere. I can't see her putting in the effort to dig a hole."

"His mother is psychotic," Jay explained, just in case Ben hadn't already figured that out.

After a few seconds, Carlos sighed in irritation. "Come on, Ben, it's like you're not even trying!" They both finally looked in Ben's direction to see the boy just holding his controller and staring at the two of them in silence. "Ben?"

"I..." His voice was much weaker than Jay had ever heard it. "I don't even know...how to say sorry. How sorry I am." He finished in a whisper.

"Dude, it was years ago. We're over it," said Carlos. Jay turned back to the game, annoyed that he had to pause it.

That did not appear to help. "It wasn't years ago! You were with them _last week_. What was he thinking, shutting you in with them? Did he even think _once_? They could have _killed you._ "

Jay wisely decided not to mention that Cruella had, in fact, killed most of her children, leaving Carlos with a grand total of zero siblings. "What was who thinking?" he asked instead.

"My dad. My - " Without warning, Ben heaved the controller across the room. "- _DAD._ " Even Jay was startled when the controller hit the wall, leaving a large scratch. Ben seemed to realize what he had done, and jolted out of his seat to grab it. He gingerly placed it on the chair he'd been sitting in. "I...um...I've got to go. Sorry. Sorry about this. I'm just...I'm sorry."

Carlos and Jay waited with wide eyes until the door closed behind the prince. Jay finally broke the silence. "Do you think he's mad enough to get Fairy Godmother's wand for us?"


	7. An Absolute Disgrace

Ben looked tired to Mal. Tired and stressed. A part of her didn't like that. Who had succeeded in upsetting him, where she had failed?

"Good morning, Mal," he said, quite unenthusiastically.

"If you're any more cheerful, you might put Lonnie out of a job," remarked Mal.

In spite of whatever was bothering him, he smiled. "Sorry. I just...had a rough night. Can I - "

"Bennybear, you still haven't told me what color you're wearing to the coronation." Audrey had rounded the corner and was examining her newly painted nails, so she noticed Mal a few seconds too late. She glared. "Why are you always here?" Mal chose not to dignify that with a response, merely glancing at the locker that was very obviously hers. "Anyway, Bennyboo, you know how long it'll take me to get a dress. I have to shop around and try a bunch and then get the one I want tailored. The coronation's not that far away." She pouted at him. "Can't you decide?"

"My suit is blue, Audrey. You've seen it before," Ben explained patiently.

"But what kind of blue? Do you know how many shades there are?"

The poor boy looked helpless. "Just...the one I always wear. I'm sorry, Audrey, but I really need to speak with Mal for a few minutes."

Her eyes glinted dangerously, switching back and forth between a smirking Mal and an exasperated Ben. "What about?"

"Yeah, what about, Bennyboo?" Mal asked innocently. Funnily enough, that didn't help the situation.

"Um...Isle stuff," Ben answered, more than a little uncomfortable.

"Well, when you want to give your _girlfriend_ the attention she deserves," spat Audrey, turning on her heel, "come find me." She looked back after a few steps, expecting Ben to follow her, but he'd already turned back to Mal.

"I talked to Jay and Carlos yesterday," he began.

"I know. They said you freaked the hell out. What'd they do?"

"Nothing. They didn't do anything." He ran his hand through his hair, which had already not been as perfectly brushed as usual. With a deep breath, he started what Mal anticipated was going to be a lecture. "Twenty years ago, my...King Adam imprisoned all the villains on the Isle of the Lost."

"I'm aware."

"Let me finish. I didn't hear about it until I was five or so, and only because I asked where all the villains from the stories went. When I was around ten, I started sitting in on council meetings. One year, someone brought up the fact that Maleficent's daughter seemed to be able to see the delivery team when they brought food to the island and it was scaring them." Mal didn't realize they knew she knew. At least they'd been afraid of her - how cute. Ben had been avoiding her gaze up until this point, but now he was staring intensely into her eyes. "You were the first Isle kid I ever heard about. And in a room full of dignitaries and dukes and advisers, I was the only person who asked what your crime was.

"Everyone laughed at me. My dad took me aside after and explained to me that villainy ran in people's blood. That you were going to end up just like your mother. That it was a good thing you were locked up with her.

"But I never stopped thinking about you, Mal. Ever." The way he said that, with so much sincerity, gave her a strange ache in her chest. "And I just kept thinking, when I'm king, I'm going to bring that girl here. I want to give her a chance.

"In the meantime, I learned there were more of you. And I was still out to prove something, so I chose the four with the worst parents - you, Carlos, Jay, and Evie. I thought, if you guys came here and you showed everyone that you were good, we could bring over more kids. They wouldn't have to be jailed with their parents."

He paused to gauge her reaction, but she kept her expression unreadable. "Why didn't you tell us before?"

"It was the deal I made with my dad, so I could do this 'trial' before I officially became king," Ben said, looking embarrassed. "He thought you would pretend to fit in 'until the time is right', whatever that means." He scowled. "But when I talked to Jay and Carlos yesterday...everything's different now."

"How so?"

"They told me what your lives were like there. I couldn't have imagined it in my worst nightmares, Mal. It honestly never occurred to me how much danger you were in every day. They told me...children _died._ " Geez, it looked like his eyes were actually watering. "I've never yelled at my dad before, but last night...I don't know how he kept a clear conscience, Mal, I really don't. But I'm bringing them all over as my first act as king, no matter what he says. Every last kid."

"Kids die everywhere," Mal reasoned, though her voice had unconsciously taken on a softer tone. "The strong ones make it. And some of the people there kind of want their kids around. You can't just force them to leave. Besides, where would you put them all?"

"I know." He slumped against the lockers. The rings under his eyes were all the more obvious from this angle. He must've been up all night thinking about it. "But in Auradon, at least every kid gets a life. None of them _starve to death."_ He shuddered. "What do I do, Mal?"

Startled, she said, "Why are you asking me?"

"You've been there. Carlos and Evie and Jay look up to you. What did you do that makes them believe they're safe with you?"

Mal hadn't realized Ben was so observant. And yet, he couldn't figure out that his dad was right. "My mom is Maleficent. People were scared of me because I was like her and so - "

"But you're not like her!" Ben interrupted. "I can see that much. You're not evil, Mal. You do what you have to just to survive. The minute you realized you were safe here, you...I mean, Lonnie told me you were baking _cookies_. Come on. Where's the evil in that?" When her eyes narrowed, he stopped joking. "You're not your mother, Mal, and I'm trying my best not to be my father. Whatever he thinks, our choices don't reflect our blood. We can be better than them." His gaze implored her. "Help me, Mal."

* * *

"So, the farther to the right you go on the periodic table, the more electronegative the elements get, right?" Doug explained. "So the ones farthest to the right, like fluorine and oxygen, are really good at hydrogen bonding."

"What about this one?" Evie pointed at neon.

"That's a noble gas. Its valences are filled so it doesn't bond with anything."

"And the valences are the clouds the electrons float around in?"

"Yes." Doug looked quite proud of her. "For someone who doesn't know any chemistry, you sure ask all the right questions."

"Thanks." She caught herself quickly, remembering to be cold to him. "This isn't going very quickly."

"Actually, I think we are." He flipped through the pages remaining in the chapter. "Once we finish going through this, we'll be ready to tackle the homework."

A thought flashed through Evie's mind. Doug knew all of this. Going through the book page by page was probably a huge waste of his time. Why would he -

 _Because he wants to spend time with me, duh. This is a treat for him. I'm the one doing him a favor. He's probably never been this close to a beautiful girl in his life._

She hadn't told Doug she needed to finish Chad's homework too. Evie was sure he would do it for her, but she couldn't bring herself to put that on him. For all of his shortcomings (and there were many), Doug had been professional, polite, and sweet. He hadn't made a single move on her, despite his obvious crush. And he'd been a pretty good teacher, too.

She was going soft.

Doug flipped the page. "Okay, and the farther right you go in each of these sections, the smaller the size of these atoms, too. Do you know why?"

"No."

"Well, it has to do with valences. Adding on valences make the total atom size bigger, but because there are more protons per atom as you go across the row, they attract the electrons and pull them closer." Doug waited for her to process and nod. "So do you think nitrogen, oxygen, or fluorine would be smallest?"

"Of those three? Fluorine."

"Nice. How about we review those valences? Can you tell me the order?"

They passed another thirty minutes this way, cutting into dinner. Finally, Evie heard Doug's stomach rumble and called time on their study session. "Let's meet tomorrow," she said, more as a demand than anything else.

"Okay, same time?" Evie nodded. "Great. Have a good dinner, Evie." He held open the door of the library for her, and walked an acceptable distance behind her. That was courteous of him, Evie thought as she looked over her shoulder. He was texting and didn't notice. They were both walking to the cafeteria, but he left her alone the entire way. Just as she would have wanted him to.

* * *

"They don't have pizza!" Carlos cried in distress, slamming his tray down. Mal, Evie, and Jay looked up from their food at the noise. "Mal - "

"No."

"But you could just - "

"No."

"Jay, it's your turn," Evie interrupted, sliding the mirror across the table. "And speaking of things more important than pizza, has anyone seen Jane around?"

"I haven't."

"Nuh-uh."

"Once," said Mal. "She was across the hall. Just kinda looked at me and then ran away."

"No surprise there," Carlos said dryly, still a little miffed she wouldn't magic up some pizza for him.

"Anyone think Fairy Godmother's told her to stay away from us?" asked Jay.

"That's a possibility. We've definitely been harassing her enough in class," Evie remarked. To no avail, Carlos could have added. The wand hadn't budged an inch. "She's probably not going to let Jane talk to us until we learn whatever the hell she keeps pushing."

"Well, we don't need to stop. We don't know if Jane is badgering her from that end, but we can wear her down from ours," decided Mal.

Before they could say anything else, they were startled to see Lonnie bring her dinner tray over. "Hey guys! Mind if I sit with you?"

They all exchanged glances. "Don't you normally sit with...um, who do you normally sit with?"

"I try to keep moving, get to know everyone," she said, sliding into the chair between Jay and Evie. Carlos and Jay looked away from each other uncomfortably, wondering if Lonnie was going to bring up _that issue_ again. Carlos hadn't seen her since then, and he had been pretty okay with that. "I spend one meal a day with the international students, though, because I want to keep up with my Chinese. It's so easy to lose a language if you don't keep speaking it, you know?" She picked up her sandwich. "So, what were you guys talking about?"

"Uh...shields," mumbled Carlos.

"Shields?"

"Yeah," Jay added. "The shields for our tourney team came in today. They're pretty great. Brand spanking new."

Carlos grumbled, "And heavy." He saw Mal roll her eyes. "But I guess that's a good thing. You could probably even fight off Mal with one of those things."

Mal flicked a pea at him, but before it got anywhere close, Lonnie reached out and grabbed it right out of the air. Carlos flinched back as if it had actually hit him. "Holy shit, Lonnie!"

"Oh." The gangly girl blushed. "Whoops. My mom and dad do reflex training all the time; sometimes I forget not to react." She rolled the pea back over to Mal's side. "Nice shot, though."

"Can we have you on the tourney team instead of Carlos?" asked Jay. Carlos was the only person not amused, but at least the awkwardness he'd felt was gone.

"Thanks, but I'm more into fencing, actually. You guys should check the team out. Ben practices with us sometimes." Lonnie winked for reasons unknown to Carlos. Mal's cheeks burned an angry pink, and the fork in her hand bent slightly without any obvious external force acting on it. Lonnie didn't notice. "Anyway, I was planning on baking some more cookies tonight. Are you in, Mal?"

"No." Mal answered quickly. Lonnie pouted. "I have an early day tomorrow."

"But it's Saturday!"

"Yeah, I've got something in the morning." Carlos knew she was lying to get out of hanging out with Lonnie, but honestly, who said no to cookies?

"Bummer! How about you guys?"

"Hell yes," said Carlos. "If I can't have pizza, I'm definitely having cookies. Can we make chocolate chip again?"

"Sure! And some sugar cookies with frosting, and white chocolate macadamia nut. You'll love them."

"I'm in too," said Jay, slapping Carlos on the back. "Just to make sure this guy actually puts on a little weight. Maybe then you'll be able to pick up your shield."

Carlos shoved him. "Shut up."

Jay shoved back. "You shut up."

"Lonnie," said Mal, ignoring the two boys. "You don't have to do this."

Carlos noticed a look pass between the two girls that he didn't understand. "I want to, Mal. It'll be fun." Mal didn't argue any further. "What about you, Evie?"

"Oh, I shouldn't," Evie smiled sweetly. "I need to watch my figure."

Naturally this was followed by vehement denial from Lonnie, which clearly helped Evie's ego. Once she was done, Lonnie turned back to the two boys. "Let's meet around nine? We can bake all night!"

* * *

Carlos and Jay decided on a jog before the imminent cookie bake-off to make sure they were hungry enough for all the desserts they needed to stuff down their throats later. The campus grounds were fairly deserted, which surprised them. Did the students of Auradon Prep have nothing to do on Friday nights?

Then they came across the tourney field, and saw several students engaged in a late night game of dodge-the-disc in the kill zone. "Nerds," said Jay.

"That is literally what we do every day."

"Still."

They took a break on a bench in a small courtyard. "Hungry yet?"

"Getting there."

The stars were incredibly bright in Auradon. Jay had never seen many on the island, what with the magical barrier keeping out even most sunlight. This sight was quite beautiful. He felt kind of stupid mentioning it to Carlos, until he looked over and saw the other boy was also gazing up at the sky.

All of a sudden, a jingling noise signaled the entrance of somebody - or rather, _something_ \- else into the courtyard.

Carlos jumped. He was standing on the bench now. "JAY!"

A dog trotted into view, holding a tennis ball in its mouth. Even Jay was startled. He looked to Carlos, who had the most terrified expression Jay had ever seen painted across his face.

The dog saw them and picked up its pace, heading in their direction. Carlos had gone white, and he was shaking violently.

Jay stood in front of him. "I won't let anything happen to you."

Instead of attacking, though, the dog dropped the tennis ball in front of Jay and then sat, expectantly. It made no noise at all, just cocking its head like Jay was being stupid.

"Get out of here!" Jay yelled, kicking the tennis ball away. The dog went running after it. "It's okay, Carlos. It's gone."

Not quite. Upon catching up with the ball, the dog worried it for a few seconds and then picked it up with its teeth, bringing it back to Jay and dropping it on the ground. Then it waited again.

"What's it doing?" asked Carlos, his voice a deathly dry whisper.

"I don't know. Get away from us!" Jay kicked the ball again, farther this time, and the dog went bounding after it, only to bring it back. It didn't sit this time, ready to run again. "Hold on...Carlos...I think this is a game."

"A game? Are you nuts?" Carlos refused to get down from the bench. "It's going to eat us alive."

"It's really small," Jay reasoned. "If it tries to, I could probably break its neck pretty easily." Jay picked up the tennis ball this time, and immediately regretted it. As was to be expected, the ball was covered in saliva. He threw it and watched the dog chase it, only to return. "This is definitely a game." He handed the ball to Carlos, who dropped it.

"No way. No fu - "

The dog now looked at Carlos like _he_ was the idiot. "Come on, man. It's not so bad." Jay picked up the ball and handed it to Carlos again. "Just throw it."

Carlos tossed the ball a few yards away, and watched the dog run after it.

"Was that so bad?"

"The ball is wet." He sounded a little better.

"Yeah, well, it's in the dog's mouth for the most part." Jay picked the ball up off the ground and looked at his friend. "Do you want to try again?"

Carlos looked unsure, so Jay lobbed the ball. "Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think...do you think my mom lied about dogs?"

Jay turned to give Carlos a small smile. "I think so. Or maybe they're not all vicious. This little guy doesn't look like he'd hurt anyone." When the dog came back with the ball, Jay squatted in front of him. He reached his hand out and ran his fingers through golden-brown fur. The dog's tail started wagging.

"You're...you're touching it," Carlos stated with wonder, like he was trying to convince himself of what he was seeing.

"Yeah." He petted the dog again before picking up the ball. "You want it?"

"Okay." Carlos threw the ball a little farther, and when the dog ran, he stepped off the bench. He pressed up against Jay's side, still not completely ready to throw caution to the wind. The two of them played with the dog for a little while longer. With every minute that passed, Carlos got more and more comfortable.

His first attempt to pet the dog did not go well, though. When he shakily extended his hand, the dog suddenly decided to lick it. Carlos stumbled back, shaking again. "It's going to eat me!"

"No, Carlos - "

It was too late. The rage had already begun. With a shout, Carlos's limbs began flailing in every which direction. He was kicking and screaming, and one of his feet just barely missed the confused animal in front of him. Jay grabbed Carlos and immobilized his arms, trapping the younger boy's legs between his own. The dog ran away from the noise, whimpering. Jay clapped his hand over Carlos's mouth and murmured comforting words into his ear.

"It's okay. You're safe. I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, didn't I?"

He took a few minutes to calm down. Jay sighed in relief when no one came running to investigate the screaming. He helped Carlos sit on the bench. The boy was breathing hard, and his gaze was unfocused.

"Hey. You're okay. Just take a minute. You're fine."

That cursed dog had come back once Carlos stopped moving. It was still whining, and placed a paw on Carlos's shoe.

Carlos looked down at it. "Are...are you gonna kill me or not?"

It pawed at his shoe until Jay leaned down and petted it again. To his surprise, Carlos followed suit once he saw there was no danger in doing so. The minute his friend's palm touched the dog's fur, he relaxed.

"It's really soft."

"Yeah." Jay smiled again, watching Carlos's amazement.

A door on one of the castle walls bordering the courtyard opened. Lonnie's head peeked out. "Guys! I've been looking for you!" She closed the door behind her. "Thought you got lost."

"No, just sidetracked." Jay waved her over. "We met this dog."

"Oh, Dude!" Lonnie rushed over to pick up the animal. "I haven't seen you yet this year! Hey there, cutie pie!" She explained to Carlos and Jay, "He's basically our unofficial mascot. I mean, I know we're the AP Knights, but Dude's been the campus dog for a long time." Dude licked her face.

"What is he doing?" asked Carlos nervously. "Tasting you?"

"No, silly. This is how dogs give kisses." Lonnie kissed Dude between the eyes and then set him down. "You guys ready?"

Jay experimentally picked Dude up and found him less squirmy than anticipated. "Can we bring him?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. Chocolate is toxic for dogs. I don't want to risk him eating something off the floor. Say bye, Dude!"'

Jay rubbed the dog's side a little before setting him down. Carlos squatted next to Dude and held out his hand. "You can kiss me if you want, now." Dude did just that. Carlos petted his head and then stood up. "Let's go make some cookies."

Lonnie, as was usual, chatted the most throughout the entire baking session. Carlos was clearly tired and trying not to show it. By the time midnight came around, they had made around six dozen cookies, with warnings not to eat them all at once. The cookies were even better when warm.

"I'm in heaven," Carlos moaned, chocolate covering his mouth.

"You guys are so gross, it's great," giggled Lonnie. "I'm only going to take a few. Make sure you leave some for Mal and Evie!"

Carrying two plates piled high with their creations, Carlos and Jay returned to their room. Their sweet tooth satisfied, they settled into bed.

Carlos was almost asleep when he mumbled, "Thanks, Jay."

"For what?"

"For always being there. Like today." His eyes were closed, and he snuggled into his pillow. "I don't deserve...you."

"Don't say that, man!" Jay was wide awake now, even if his roommate wasn't. He didn't know how to explain to a half-asleep friend that his company basically made life worth living.

Carlos's breathing became soft and even. Jay assumed he had gone to sleep, and suddenly realized he hadn't checked the mirror in hours. He scrambled to find it, only to see that the wand was still there. He prayed it hadn't been removed and put back in the time that he'd been baking cookies, though he supposed they would find out on Monday if Jane was all of a sudden -

Carlos stirred at the noise Jay was making, so he froze. If not, he wouldn't have heard his roommate, his friend, the most important person in his life, sleepily murmur, "I love you."


	8. Did I Mention

Mal was up at seven. To her dismay, so was Evie.

They'd been rather cold with each other since Mal had told her off about her chemistry fiasco. It didn't really matter so long as Evie was able to get herself out of her mess. Besides, it wasn't the lack of conversation that was bothering Mal. She just really wished she could have sneaked out this morning without Evie being any the wiser.

"Where are you going?" asked Evie, watching Mal don her purple leather jacket.

"Library," grunted Mal.

"Studious all of a sudden, are we?"

She glared. "I wanted to spend today researching Morgan Le Fay. The enchantress." Evie seemed to recognize the name. "She was capable of more magic than even my mother. I'm going to try and see if any of her spells have been passed down. Might help with getting the wand out of the vault."

Her roommate accepted this explanation, and Mal left thinking, _One of these days I really do need to research Morgan Le Fay._

She met Ben outside the main doors of the school. He already had a limo waiting. "Ready to go?"

"No. Just thought I'd meet you out here to tell you I need thirty more minutes."

Ben just smiled and opened a door for her, ignoring the insistent chauffeur trying to do the same thing.

"Who pays for this place?" Mal asked Ben once their ride was underway, referring to the destination.

"Taxes," he said simply. "The citizens of Auradon are happy to help children who have no other means of support."

"As long as they're from the mainland."

Ben looked at her sadly. "Well...yeah."

"If you bring the Isle kids here, do you really think your citizens are going to want to keep paying these taxes?"

He sighed. "I've thought of that too. I think there's going to be a lot of resistance. But I believe that the goodness in people will win out."

"I doubt it," Mal scoffed. She tried to remember any redeemable qualities of the children back on the island. They were always crying, sick, needy, and dirty. She'd never liked them, even when she was a child herself. Mal stole from them more often than not, assuming a devil-may-care attitude about what would become of them. Taking care of them, or more of them than she needed for her gang, never occurred to her. Why would anyone from Auradon feel any different?

The limo stopped outside of a building labeled "Children's Village of Auradon", the national orphanage. It was all one story, but sprawling. Somehow, it still appeared quaint; perhaps it was the combination of yellow-orange stucco walls and red shingles on the roof, or the way the sign was covered in tiny hand-prints of every color. When Mal and Ben walked in, she realized it was not nearly as big as she'd thought, but instead resembled an open square. The foyer had a back door that led to a large courtyard filled with everything a child could ever want in a playground - slides, monkey bars, jungle gyms, blacktop with scattered pieces of chalk, sand boxes. The foyer itself only contained a front desk and a waiting area stocked with colorful blocks.

The receptionist stood up and curtsied. "Good morning, your Majesty. Your guide will be arriving shortly."

"No rush. And please, call me Ben."

"Of course, your Majesty." The receptionist threw a sideways glance at Mal and shifted uncomfortably. "Would you and your lady like something to drink in the meantime?"

Before Mal could protest at being called anyone's "lady", Ben had already asked, "Mal?" She shook her head, scowling. It was alright; Ben had enough smiles for the both of them. "That's okay. We'll wait here."

In the waiting area, Mal picked up one of the blocks. It had a letter or a number on each of its six sides. They were large enough for even a toddler to handle. She vaguely remembered seeing shabby versions of these blocks in Jafar's store. No one ever bought them.

"Good morning! I'm sorry to keep you...oh, dear." The older woman who appeared took one look at Mal and suddenly became less cheery. "It...it can't be..."

"It's not," said Ben confidently. "Good morning, Ms. Merryweather. This is Mal - she's Maleficent's daughter. And she's here to help me." He adopted a regal tone that made it impossible for Merryweather to question him.

Mal was familiar with this particular fairy. One of the Good Fairies that her mother hated so much - in fact, the very same Good Fairy who prevented Aurora's inevitable death by lessening the curse to a sleeping spell. It seemed Merryweather found the family resemblance more than a little disturbing.

"Mal, this is Ms. Merryweather. After taking care of Queen Aurora, she opened up this orphanage and runs it herself."

"Thanks for leaving out that particular piece of information yesterday," Mal said dryly. Ben wisely chose not to respond.

Merryweather looked conflicted. On one hand, Prince Ben was waiting to tour the facility and meet the children. On the other hand, she clearly did not want Mal anywhere near her precious orphanage. The three of them stood quite awkwardly for a minute until her duty to Ben won out.

"Please follow me. We will stop by the classroom first. The children have no educational obligations on Saturday, but we use the classrooms for book clubs on Saturday mornings." They headed to the right and turned a corner, walking down the hallway until they reached an open door. A woman's voice floated out of the room. When Mal and Ben stepped in, the woman looked up from the book she was reading, and the small crowd of children in front of her was immediately distracted.

"PRINCE BEN!" As if a celebrity had walked in - which, Mal supposed, was technically what had happened - the mob got up at once and rushed to greet Ben. The older boy laughed and squatted down to be on their level, giving hugs and high-fives out like candy.

"Good morning, everyone. It's nice to meet you all."

Once some of the kids had gotten over him, they noticed Mal's hair and began pestering her about it.

"Why is your hair purple?"

"Can I touch it?"

"That's my favorite color."

"No, it's MY favorite color! Copier!"

"Children," said Merryweather nervously, "please let our guests look around." _And stay away from this witch_ , Mal noted in her tone. She normally would have enjoyed making this sad excuse for a fairy squirm. But right now, she was having trouble reconciling her image of children with the one that presented itself here. These kids were...happy. They looked healthy and well dressed, with cheeks like chipmunks. They couldn't have been more than four or five years old, but their classroom was stocked with books and school supplies that even Mal had been unable to get on the island. Some of them were fighting amongst themselves, but for the most part they were content to chatter at Ben. She was acutely aware that these kids wanted for nothing but parents.

Mal had had a parent, and her childhood had never been like this. _Happy._

"Mal?" Ben's voice snapped her out of her reverie. "Esther here," He pointed at one of the little girls, "says she likes to draw. Don't you like to draw too?"

What a stupid question, Mal thought, until she realized it was for the girl's benefit. The child had long brown hair tied up in a ponytail and big brown eyes that stared up at Mal unabashedly. "Um, yeah. I do."

"Come see what I drew!" said Esther, taking Mal's hand. Mal looked down in surprise. Yet another person in Auradon who didn't fear her. In fact, none of these kids seemed afraid at all.

Esther dragged Mal to one of the desks in the classroom and pointed proudly at a piece of paper covered in crayon. Two stick figures held hands (or were connected at the wrist) underneath a sunny, cloud-free sky. It was horrendous.

"...Wow," remarked Mal. She decided she should probably lie. "Good job."

"I can draw lots of things," Esther boasted. "Like cats and dogs and houses. Want me to show you?"

Mal looked back at Ben, who seemed quite busy answering the questions of the rest of the class. They probably weren't going anywhere very soon. "Okay."

The little girl explained each line of her subsequent drawing like Mal was an idiot. "And this is a wall. And this is another wall. And this is the top part of the house. And this is a door. I put a doorknob too." Mal was trying very hard not to magically seal her mouth. "See? It's a house!"

"So it is."

"Here. You can draw too if you want," Esther said politely. "Can you draw a bird in the sky?"

"Okay." Mal took a black crayon, and did her best to sketch a flying raven on one side of the sheet while Esther drew a "dog" (basically a spider with four legs) on the other. Upon seeing Mal's finished product, Esther gasped.

"Whoa! That looks like a real bird!" It didn't. But probably to Esther's underdeveloped artistic eye, it was the most realistic artwork ever completed in crayon. "I'm going to color the house purple. Like your hair." She smiled cutely at Mal. "I like your hair."

"Oh." Flustered by a kid half her size? Unbelievable. But then, Mal wasn't used to receiving sincere compliments. "Thanks."

Mal felt a hand on her back and turned around to see Ben leaning over their drawing. "This looks great, guys. But we have to get going and see the rest of the building."

"Will you come back?" asked Esther.

"We'll stop by to see you before we leave," Ben promised, though the question had been directed at Mal.

Their next stop was the cafeteria, filled with nutritious foods. Kids of all ages, some of them almost as old as Ben and Mal, were socializing over snacks. Then they walked into the two bedrooms, which had about thirty sets of bunk beds each. The walls were decorated with drawings and posters, and each of the beds had a different set of colorful covers. Each room had several cribs as well, some of them containing sleeping babies.

The rest of their tour included a recreation room, some administrative offices, a nurse's office and a gymnasium. "We take the children on field trips occasionally as well," explained Merryweather. "Last week we went to the community pool at the park district."

 _This is heaven_ , Mal realized. But the biggest realization was that it was all so familiar. These were the same facilities she'd seen at Auradon Prep. She'd been so focused on learning magic and plotting to steal the wand, she hadn't seen what was right in front of her. What if she had been raised here instead of on the island? What would she be like? How would it feel to know an entire community was invested in her future?

 _But this place isn't for people like me. Ben's the only person deluded enough to think villains will ever be accepted here. The only way we get to stay in this place is if we take it ourselves...and if we don't destroy it._ She looked out at a bunch of ten-year-olds playing dodgeball in the gym. _And if we kill everyone in our way._ For the first time in her life, unease accompanied the thought of murder. These kids weren't the useless burdens Mal knew from the island. They were full of potential - potential they would never fulfill once Maleficent was free.

True to his word, Ben stopped by the book club again when their tour was over, much to the annoyance of the poor woman attempting to read to the children. The kids jostled each other to present Ben with a variety of trinkets and drawings and origami animals, which he took with graceful thank-yous.

The only person who approached Mal was a shy Esther. She gave Mal a drawing of a lavender flower, "To match your hair."

Mal squatted down and looked at the picture. Artistically, she couldn't approve of it. But something about the gift being given by a kid she barely knew made it look a little better. "Thanks," Mal said softly. "Do you like flowers?"

Esther nodded. Mal held out a closed fist, and as she opened it, a purple hibiscus bloomed in her palm. The little girl gasped, and for a moment, Mal thought she'd frightened her.

"Put it in my hair! Put it in my hair!" Mal did as she demanded, tucking the stem into her hairband so the flower wouldn't fall off Esther's head. The minute she was done, Esther ran to the other kids. "Abby! Johnny! Look what my Fairy Godmother gave me!"

"Wait, what - " Before Mal could deny that label vehemently, one of Ben's arms was around the front of her waist, pulling her back and away from Esther.

"She'll forget it by tomorrow," he murmured in her ear. "You're not obligated to turn pumpkins into carriages for her." His breath was tickling her ear, making her shiver. She turned her face towards his to prevent that from happening, but that wasn't much better because now her eyes were level with that perfect smile of his. At the same time, Ben seemed to realize where his arm was and dropped it, stepping back with an admirable amount of poise. "We should head out."

He shook hands with Merryweather, who was still staring suspiciously at Mal. Mal gave the orphanage's administrators a lazy salute and followed Ben into the limo.

Once the engine started, Ben launched into a rant. "Look, I know it's not perfect. I know that these kids didn't have a choice to separate from their parents and I know they're used to how things are in Auradon to begin with. But I just wanted you to see the options that we have. I'm not trying to bribe the Isle kids but I want to give them a better life and - "

"Ben," she interrupted quietly. "It's nice." If the future Ben envisioned had any chance of coming to pass... _it won't. The villains' kids will never live at Children's Village, at least not the way heroes' kids live there._

Ben smiled. "You think so?" She shrugged. "You were incredible in there."

Mal gave him a disbelieving look. "I didn't do anything."

"That's not true. You - and your friends - " he added hastily, "keep amazing me. The way you grew up, I wouldn't blame you for hating the entire world. But you've still got so much good in you - you just made that little girl's day. She may not have a mother, but she has a Fairy Godmother now." He smirked.

"You said she'd forget!"

"She might. She might not."

"Jerk." Mal looked out the window so she could give him the cold shoulder.

"Prince Jerk," Ben responded softly. She could hear the smile in his vocie. Mal felt heat rising to her cheeks again.

When they got back to Auradon Prep, Mal opened her own door before either of the chivalrous morons in the limo could do it for her. She was already walking away when Ben called to her over the roof of the car.

"Thank you for coming with me. It means a lot."

She looked back at him for a quick second, but kept going. She hated how the entire world seemed to narrow to just the two of them whenever he gazed at her like _that_. Neither of them noticed the flash of blue hair that disappeared into the girl's dorm a few minutes before Mal.

* * *

"Find anything?" Evie asked coldly when Mal returned to their room.

"No." Mal didn't even spare her a glance. She took off her jacket and shoes and jumped on her bed with a sketchbook.

"Probably because you weren't there very long." Evie glared at her roommate. "I tried to look for you a little while ago. Searched both floors." Mal's pencil froze on her page. "Thought you might've gotten bored. Then I saw you on my way back. With Ben."

Mal's entire body stiffened.

"What were you doing, Mal?"

"None of your business."

"Yes it is," Evie shot back angrily. "You flipped your shit about Chad, but then you go running around with the guy who's going to be king in a month?"

"Not everything is about landing a royal husband," hissed Mal. "The fact that you can't see past that one goal is exactly why you're the last person who needs to know what I was doing."

"Oh really? You're just so much better than me, aren't you?" Evie seethed.

"I'm at least mildly competent."

"You've got to be kidding me. I mess up one time - "

"On something so unbelievably simple - "

"When are you going to let this go?"

"When we have the wand." Mal's eyes glowed bright green. "Until then, my plans are not up for discussion. This is not an open forum."

At the threat of Mal's magic, Evie shrunk back. "Or what? You'll kill me, like you tried to kill Jay?"

Mal slammed her sketchbook shut, and Evie thought she'd finally gone too far. But instead of cursing her, Mal walked out of the room without another word.

Evie spent the next couple of hours trying to study without tearing up her textbooks. Who did Mal think she was? Worse, who did Mal think Evie was? The first responsibility the four of them had ever been given, and Mal had decided that Evie was too stupid to be trusted. Things had never been this bad on the island.

Upon hearing a knock, Evie flung her room's door open with much more force than necessary. A meek-looking Doug waited on the other side, which only angered her more.

"Um, hey Evie. Just wondered if you wanted to study chemistry today, because we normally would study around this time, and - "

"No," spat Evie, slamming the door shut. Then, reconsidering, she opened it again. Doug was shocked, but still there. "How did you get to be so smart?"

"What?" The poor boy was a mix of confusion and distress.

"You're smart, right? People trust you with things? Come to you for help?"

"Well, yeah. You did."

Evie rolled her eyes at his need to provide evidence. That answered her question, at least. "How did you do it?"

"Um..." Doug struggled to find an answer. "I study a lot. I like to solve problems, even outside of homework. I play trivia games for fun." He winced. "I'm probably the nerdiest person you'll ever meet."

"That much I knew." Evie sighed. "Teach me."

"Teach you what?"

"How to be smart."

Doug frowned. "I mean...we can start by studying. What do you say?"

She thought about it for a moment. "I guess. I don't expect to become genius overnight. Maybe within the next week or so."

He chuckled. "That's a little over-confident, don't you think?"

"Confidence is beautiful," Evie told him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "You should try it sometime."

"Can you teach me?" he asked nervously. Surprised, Evie considered it. "I mean, you know, like we could help each other out?"

"I can't teach confidence," she said slowly, watching his face fall. "But I can teach you to fake it." She pressed her fingers into his spine. "Chest out. Shoulders back. Chin up. Look as tall as you can." He did so, appearing very uncomfortable. Evie laughed. "And try not to walk like you're heading to the gallows."

"Um...how do I do that?"

"Walk with a purpose, even if you don't have one. Like you're about to go to a really important meeting." She snapped her fingers at him. "Show me. We're going to the library, but you better make it look like you're going to your own coronation."

* * *

Jay was gone when Carlos woke up, which hadn't happened all week. Carlos waited for him a little while, and then left to get a late breakfast. Coming back from breakfast, he saw Dude barking up a tree. His little paws were scrambling at the trunk. A squirrel taunted him from one of the branches.

All of Carlos's courage from the day before suddenly left him. Without Jay there, he felt much more vulnerable. _It's okay. This dog isn't going to do anything to you._ The barks and growls were not helping. Still, Carlos approached carefully. "...H-hey, boy."

Hearing his voice, Dude stopped barking and bounded over to him. Carlos almost ran back, but held his ground. He sat down, slowly, and reached out to pat Dude's head. Dude let him, for a little while, and then rolled over onto his back, exposing his belly.

"Uh...what do I...?" Carlos rubbed Dude's stomach, and the dog began wagging his entire body. "Oh. You like that, huh, buddy?" He couldn't help but smile at Dude's lolling tongue.

Carlos could feel himself slowly becoming more comfortable with the dog again. He let Dude lick his hand, and then tentatively pulled the dog into his lap. Dude licked his face until his cheeks were covered in slobber, and Carlos actually found himself smiling.

"You're not so bad, are you? You're a really good boy."

"Hey, Carlos!" The boy's attention was directed away from Dude and towards an oncoming Doug. "Hi Dude. How's it going, little guy?" Doug reached out and scratched Dude behind the ears.

"Hey Doug. Long time," Carlos remarked. The last time he'd seen this guy, he'd been wallowing in misery after being rejected by Evie. Today, Doug had a large textbook and a spiral bound notebook tucked under one arm, leaving his other free to pet the campus dog.

"Yeah, no kidding. How's your first week been?"

"Fine." Carlos eyed the textbook. "Do you already have a test coming up?"

"No. I just thought I'd go over to Evie's and see if she needed help. We study together, now," he said proudly, with a little bit of a blush.

Carlos rolled his eyes. "Dude...I mean you, not the dog...I don't know what you see in her. She's not that great. You should find someone, you know, nerdy and nice like you."

Doug shrugged. "I don't know how you _don't_ like her. I mean, she's beautiful and just really...full of life."

"Full of sass."

"Maybe." Doug grinned. "But I've never met someone before who's such a...firecracker. Besides, she's really good at everything she does. Did you know she designs her own clothes?"

"Big deal," grunted Carlos, warily watching Dude's paws as the dog climbed onto his legs. "Damn, you really are related to Dopey."

"Like father, like son," Doug agreed. "My dad was in love with Snow White for the longest time. He wasn't good enough for her either." Carlos glanced at Doug's crestfallen face for just a second. "But at least I get to spend time with Evie. That's more than I could ask for."

Carlos smirked. "You goody-two-shoes types aren't greedy enough."

"It's called contentment, Carlos. You'll learn."

 _No I won't,_ Carlos thought as Doug left to find Evie. _I'm not going to be here long enough._

But besides 'contentment', he couldn't find another word to describe how he felt cuddling with Dude.

* * *

Jay had managed to avoid Carlos for over thirty six hours, now. He'd come back from the library late on Saturday night, and Carlos was already asleep. Then he'd left the room again around five on Sunday morning. He was exhausted, but at least he didn't have to deal with his problems.

Carlos would look for him, eventually. The library wasn't safe anymore. He instead found a nook between a couple of classrooms in a wing of the school that was deserted on the weekend. He fell asleep there, purely on accident. When he woke, he couldn't tell how much time had passed.

Jay wandered back out into the hallway, looking for a clock. When he reached the foyer, he heard voices and pressed against a wall, straining to make out who it was - not Carlos, at least. But they still sounded familiar. They were coming from out in front of the school.

"Are you sure we can't spend just a little time together?"

"I'm sorry, babe. I've just got so much to do. We've got a big tourney game on Tuesday and I need to practice. The team needs me. You understand, don't you?" That was Chad, realized Jay.

"Of course." And that was definitely Evie.

"Thanks for doing this, babe. I really appreciate it." Jay listened as Chad's footsteps died away, and then slinked out the door. Evie didn't notice him until he spoke up, bitter as she was.

"What's going on, _babe_?"

She turned around, appraising him with disgust. "Don't call me that."

Jay smirked at her. "What was that all about?"

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"Yep."

Evie walked close enough to punch him in the chest, but not nearly hard enough to hurt him. Jay crossed his arms and leaned against the wall behind him. "So why are you 'babe'?"

"Because we're dating," bragged Evie. "Pretty much."

"That was fast."

"I work quickly." She was practically preening, but then deflated a little. "If you guys have a game on Tuesday, why aren't you practicing too?"

Jay knew for a fact Chad wasn't practicing either, but he didn't care enough about this relationship to tell her. "Because I'm naturally amazing at this game. And I'm the only one not afraid to break a nail."

"That actually hurts. You've clearly never had to deal with a broken nail before."

"Wow. I'm pretty sure - shit!" Jay hissed suddenly, catching a shock of white and black hair. Carlos was walking with Dude through the gardens out in front of the school, stopping whenever the dog found a bug to bark at.

"What?"

"Look," whispered Jay quickly, "I need your help. Well, Carlos needs your help. He needs...reminding." Jay locked eyes with her, and she understood.

"Is he really that stupid?" She shook her head. "Whatever. Fine."

Carlos had noticed them and was ushering Dude in their direction. "Hey guys. Jay, I've been looking everywhere for you. Where've you been?"

Jay shifted uncomfortably. "Um..."

"He's been helping me move some stuff around in my room," interrupted Evie. "Good thing too, because I was getting pretty lonely." She slipped her arm around Jay's waist and giggled, giving him a conspiratorial look. "It's been a while since we did _that_ , hasn't it?"

Jay watched some of the blood drain out of Carlos's face. His heart ached, but he said nothing.

"I didn't need to know that, Evie," Carlos commented with a valiant attempt at casual disgust.

"You're such a kid," Evie shot back. This was a pretty common insult of hers, despite Carlos only being a year younger than Jay and Evie and the same age as Mal. "Anyway, leave us alone a while? We have to go back to hanging out with prudes tomorrow and I need to get a whole lot out of my system." She winked at Jay and grabbed his hand, leading him back to her dorm. "Bye, Carlos."

"Yeah," said Jay, refusing to meet Carlos's eyes. "See you."

They left him there, brokenhearted, as they went off to do nothing.


	9. There's Nothing I Can Do

**Sorry! Writer's block. The reviews certainly helped though!  
To Ash the Guest - what a phenomenal idea. I'll try to include it towards the end!**

* * *

By the middle of the week, it was obvious to Mal that her gang was a mess.

Every one of them was avoiding at least one other member, and that made meetings both awkward and infrequent, not to mention inefficient. It was all Mal could do to ensure the wand was watched at all times, forget anything grander. She took most of the shifts herself, keeping the mirror propped up next to her spell book.

Jane had yet to make another appearance, but Fairy Godmother was getting a much needed break from the jabs about her parenting thanks to the tension in the group. Participation and discussion had waned as well, since Evie was sitting next to Mal, and Jay and Carlos were clearly having problems of their own. Fairy Godmother did not seem to mind and chattered on about 'recognizing other people's humanity' for several classes.

The frustration was eating at Mal. She needed to hurt someone, or steal valuables, or just do anything awful to remind herself of who she was and why she was here. Things were otherwise getting to be too...normal, almost like there was no plan at all. Nothing made that more obvious than their meals - Lonnie had taken to joining them regularly, and Jay had abandoned them in favor of the tourney team. Evie was off studying with Doug more often than not as well.

She wasn't the only person who noticed Lonnie's new routine. During dinner on Monday, Mal entered the cafeteria just in time to witness Chad and Audrey surreptitiously leave something on her group's usual table before hurrying away, whispering. Upon closer inspection, Mal saw that it was a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, she read:

 **Lonnie -**

 **You keep hanging out with those villains, we're going to treat you like one of them.**

 **Make your choice. It's us or them. And if it's them, don't bother speaking to any of us again.**

Surprised and disgusted, Mal pocketed the note. If this was what Chad thought, Evie was going to have a hard time seducing him. And Audrey - her boyfriend was the one spurring on this effort, and it was no secret how friendly he was with all four of them. Was she going to break off her relationship with him, too? How could they, kids from the butterfly/rainbow/love side of the ocean, treat Lonnie this way? Lonnie was open, fun, kind, and sincere. Even Mal did not mind being around her - she almost felt protective of Lonnie, like she did for her gang. She had a sinking feeling that a couple of these Auradonians were somehow better than her at being evil.

By the time Carlos and Lonnie joined her with their food trays, Mal was sulking so much Carlos had to ask about it.

"Nothing." Both of the other students gave her identical looks of disbelief. "Just need to hit something."

For the first time in a while, she saw Carlos grin broadly. "I've got you."

Curious, Lonnie tagged along with the two of them after dinner. Sun had just set; the sky was darkening but not yet black. The tourney field sat empty the day before the first game of the season, as most of the players weren't about to risk getting injured or sore. A few grounds-workers were setting up bleachers on either side of the field. They spared a quick glance for the three kids coming their way, but then went back to work.

"We can't play tourney with three people, Carlos," Lonnie pointed out.

"Thanks, Lonnie," replied Carlos sarcastically. "I actually figured that out a long time ago." He turned on the disc machine on the right side of the kill zone and turned to Mal. "I should've brought a stick. For a bat."

Mal rolled her eyes and extended a hand towards the forest a couple hundred feet behind the field. "Harken, branch, to my command / Fly, fly into my hand."

Lonnie gasped. "Is that a spell? You can do magic?" Mal had been keeping this ability a secret from most students, but Lonnie had recently ceased to be 'most students'. If she decided she wanted Mal to use magic against Chad or Audrey, Mal would probably oblige. Besides, Lonnie was the second-to-last person who would think Mal would use her magic for evil.

"Maleficent's my mom, remember?"

A whizzing sound alerted them to the presence of a large stick speeding through the air. Its controlled dive into Mal's waiting palm, though smooth, knocked her back a few steps. Still, it was one of her better attempts at the spell - and from quite a distance, too.

"Wow." Lonnie gaped. "What else can you do?"

"Not much. Mostly just locomotion and other simple object spells." So far.

"That's really cool."

"Okay, okay, we're all super impressed," interrupted Carlos. He gestured for Mal to hand over the branch and stepped into the kill zone. Immediately, discs began flying at him and he whacked the first one with the branch.

The disc flew towards a set of completed bleachers, prompting glares from the grounds-keepers. He grinned innocently at them and then hit another one. The impact didn't damage the discs, but still allowed for a satisfying _thwack_. Carlos stepped outside of the kill zone and the machine stopped firing. He offered the improvised bat to Mal. "Your turn."

She stepped in and quickly ducked to avoid a flying disc. "Come on Mal!" "Hit it!" She squared her shoulders and swung at the next disc, only to miss spectacularly. On the sidelines, Lonnie and Carlos and a few of the workmen snickered at her.

Mal missed the next three in succession, which only encouraged her audience to laugh more. Angry now, she swung with all her might at the next one. She didn't expect it to connect, but when it did, her aggression melted away. She watched it sail over the bleachers and land in the grass several yards behind them. The observers clapped, and she felt a slow smile spread across her face - until she was hit in the chest by another disc.

She landed on her butt with an 'oof'. Guffaws filled her ears. Luckily, Lonnie stepped into the kill zone, grabbed the bat, and started swinging. Mal half-crawled to the sideline, where Carlos helped her up with a fair amount of teasing. She considered letting a little green fire into his hair, but let him have his fun. Even she had to admit, she'd probably looked stupid.

"Geez, Mal, you suck at this!" Carlos taunted.

"Don't worry, Mal, you'll get better!" called Lonnie between swings - her way of saying essentially the same thing. She had a much better batting average than Mal, which wasn't difficult. After she'd taken a turn, Carlos went again, and then Mal. She'd improved the second time around, and avoided getting hit. Every time she whacked a disc, she felt calmer. Her eyes met Carlos's - he was clearly benefiting from the havoc as well. It had been hard pretending to be reformed. Temptation was everywhere - expensive items hanging out of pockets, disrespectful people, flammable notes - so some destruction was long overdue.

"That was fun," Mal admitted to Carlos before the three of them turned in for the night.

"Tourney's even more fun. We get to knock people over." He glanced quickly at Lonnie. "Uh...I mean, not that I enjoy it..."

"It's fine," chuckled Lonnie. "We're good people, but we're not saints."

 _Isn't that the truth_ , thought Mal.

She spent part of the night searching for curses she could put on the letter-writers without them being aware of it. One of the spells in her book would cover their faces with the words they had written in permanent ink. Another would make their eyes bleed whenever Mal read what they had written aloud. Mal was surprised at the number of letter-based curses, but unfortunately they were all too obviously magical. Everyone would know she had caused whatever ill befell Chad and Audrey.

So when morning came, Mal took the note with her. She'd planned on attempting a modified version of one of the spells at lunch - with any luck, Audrey and Chad would become inexplicably incontinent in the presence of the recipient.

She met Ben by their lockers, as was becoming routine. "Morning, Mal. Have you signed up for art classes yet?"

"You don't have to talk to me every day." She opened up her locker and stuck the note in, exchanging it for some textbooks.

"Still can't say anything nice, huh?" His smile was as serene as the moon.

"You're going to ask me to say something nice, when you couldn't say something mean to save your life?" she pointed out.

"I can be mean." Ben thought for a second, or at least made a big show of thinking. "Jay. Jay is a ball-hog."

Mal smirked. "Is that the best you can do? Ball-hog?"

"I could try harder, I guess," he mused. "Chad...he's a family friend, but..." He lowered his voice. "He's kind of a jerk."

Her smile widened. "Asshole, more like."

Ben grimaced. "I wouldn't go that far..."

"Do it, Ben. Go that far."

"Okay, okay. If it makes you happy...He's an asshole."

He was actually blushing a little bit at his own language. It was so adorable Mal genuinely laughed, and Ben laughed along with her. His eyes sparkled with warmth. To her surprise, it didn't annoy Mal as much as usual. She felt light - when was the last time she'd laughed out loud like this?

Ben eventually continued, "Not that I don't enjoy joking around with you, but I get the feeling you're trying to corrupt me."

"That's what I do," Mal replied, leaning against her locker. His statement made it even harder to wipe the smile off her face.

"Hmm." Ugh, that look in his eyes, as if she was all that mattered to him in that moment...She felt this dull pain in her chest, like her heart was thawing out. He leaned closer to her and she didn't even flinch. "You know, it goes both ways," he said quietly. Mal raised an eyebrow. "Things get corrupted in a good way sometimes. Look at that." Ben pointed behind her, and she turned around. Lonnie was happily walking to her locker, oblivious to the threat of forced isolation that had been leveled against her.

Mal felt slight whoosh of air as Ben reached past her into her locker and plucked the note. "I noticed this," he said, holding it up to her. "In the business of protecting people's feelings now, are you?"

Her eyes flashed a bright green, all traces of humor gone. "Now you're the asshole," she hissed, snatching the note back. She shoved her book in her locker before marching up to Lonnie. Mal nearly plastered the note on the other girl's nose in her eagerness to show Ben how much she didn't care about _feelings_. "Someone left this for you."

As Lonnie read it with widening eyes, Ben sidled up behind Mal. "Don't worry, Lonnie, Mal brought it to my attention. I'm so sorry someone thinks they can treat you like this. If you feel you're being bullied, I hope you'll let me know so we can work towards a solution."

The normally peppy girl nodded slowly, a worried expression crossing her face. "How horrible." Then her gaze softened as she gazed at Mal. "Thanks so much for looking out for me, Mal. If this is how heroes' kids act, I'd much rather be associated you anyways."

"Wha-no, this-I was-" Mal sputtered, but Ben had already slung an arm around her shoulder to pull her away, waving goodbye for the both of them.

Mal quickly untangled herself from him and gave him the coldest glare she could muster. "If you ever do that again, I will turn you into a monster so hideous your own mother won't want to see you," she spat, before remembering she wasn't supposed to tell people she had plans to use magic for evil.

Ben just shrugged, unfazed. "My mom's actually pretty good with hideous monsters, to be honest." He smiled at her - not even out of victory, but like he was _proud_ of her for hiding that note. "I'll see you around...asshole."

In spite of herself, Mal forgot to be angry for a second.

* * *

"Evie!" someone whispered.

The blue-haired girl had been in the library looking for an extra copy of a freshman biology text - she'd never taken the class and never would, having started at junior year. From between the bookshelves, she saw a young girl waving her over.

"Jane!" Someone shushed her, and she tiptoed over to where Fairy Godmother's daughter was hiding behind a collection of encyclopedias. "I haven't seen you in like a week!" she continued quietly.

"I know." Jane sighed. "My mom told me not to talk to you until you'd learned how to be good. But I had to see you. The day you did my makeup was the best day of my life. Even when I was walking home, this really cute boy smiled at me and another one held open the door out of the dorm for me." She was practically swooning. "Can you please teach me how to wear makeup like that? I just can't go another day being ugly. I can't!"

Typical pre-teen drama. Evie, however, jumped at the opportunity to keep poisoning Jane's mind. If she was the one who got Jane to release the wand, maybe it would make up for her previous mistake. "Of course, sweetie. You just tell me when you can get away, and I'll make you an expert." She smiled. "Are you free now?"

"Only for a few minutes. Mom's in a meeting. She'll be out in a half-hour and I'll have to go home and pretend I was there the whole time."

"We can work with a few minutes." The two girls sneaked out of the library and towards Evie's room. "How far do you live?"

"We have a bunch of rooms on the top floor of the main building. Won't take me more than ten minutes to get there and make it look like I was reading."

"Plenty of time." They reached the dorms and found Mal missing. _Probably off with her new best friends,_ Evie thought bitterly. She sat Jane down at her dresser and went through her makeup collection. "Okay, the first thing you need is moisturizer. You have to use that every day." She squeezed some lotion into Jane's hands and watched her rub it on her cheeks.

"Can I write this down?"

"Sure." Evie tried not to smirk. It was nice being the teacher for once. "Then, you need primer. Some concealer for under your eyes...foundation that should technically match your skin tone - make sure you test it out on your wrist before you buy it." Evie kept talking as she worked on Jane, detailing how to blend in the makeup until it looked like a second skin. They didn't have time for much more than that, but the illusion of blemish-free skin already improved Jane's confidence. Evie took the opportunity to push her own agenda. "So she won't even do a little bit? Like, she could just clear your skin up. It wouldn't be too far from her 'moral code' or whatever, and it would make things so much easier for you."

Jane looked like she was about to cry. "I tried to ask her. I've tried everything. She just won't listen. Do you think...do you think she even cares about me?"

Evie was about to give her a manipulative answer, but she closed her mouth before any sound came out. How many times had she wondered the same thing? Her mother had spent years teaching Evie how to be beautiful - grueling, verbally abusive lessons that had demolished Evie's self-esteem until other people began complimenting her looks and building it back up. Did the Evil Queen care about her daughter? Was the Queen's quest to find Evie a suitable husband out of concern for the daughter's well-being, or the mother's greed? Had she ever given Evie a choice to be anything but a beauty queen?

"Evie?"

Fairy Godmother was the other half of the same coin, it seemed. She wanted her daughter to be independently successful, but she also didn't seem interested in what her daughter wanted. "I don't know," Evie said finally. "Maybe that's just how mothers are."

* * *

Carlos knew for sure after the game on Tuesday that Jay was purposefully avoiding him.

Nearly the whole school had turned out. The bleachers were filled with cheering, blue-and-gold clad Auradon Prep students. Only a couple of kids from the opposing Agrabah Elite Academy had shown up. The reason soon became evident.

The other team contained approximately fifteen snobby wimps and one exasperated coach. With both Carlos and Jay not afraid to rough up other players, the opponents didn't stand a chance. One of the younger team members even screamed in fear when he saw Jay barreling towards him. They won, 10-0. The last half hadn't even finished, but these heroes were all about 'mercy' and didn't want the losers to suffer more than necessary.

After the referee called the game, Auradon Prep's players poured onto the field, hoisting Jay into the air. Carlos joined in on the celebrations, adding his hand to the many seeking a high-five from Jay. The older boy locked eyes with Carlos, saw his hand, and then proceeded to avoid any contact with him.

This continued at the pizza place where the team chose to have their victory dinner. Several tables were joined to make a long seating area for sixteen. Jay sat in the middle of a several teammates without saving a chair for Carlos, happily receiving compliments on his game. He didn't even spare a glance for his old friend, who floundered when he realized he didn't know where to sit. It was like Carlos no longer existed for him.

 _What did I do? Why won't he talk to me?_ Carlos could feel the anxiety tearing at his chest, but he fought it down. _Not here. Not now._

"Hey, Carlos! Saved you a spot, man!" Harry called to him. He was a short, blond boy who'd gotten extremely strong working with his dad, Happy, in the diamond mines every summer. With the Isle kids' influence, he'd become quite adept at tackling.

Carlos joined Harry and a couple of his cousins as they recounted various plays. "Dude, that pass you made while two of AEA's offensive linemen were on you? Legendary!"

"Thanks," murmured Carlos uncomfortably. He wasn't used to getting compliments. "You guys played a great game, too."

Harry nodded in Jay's direction. "Are you guys okay?"

"What?" Carlos frowned. His problems with Jay were none of this guy's business. "Yeah, fine." Harry clearly didn't believe him, but he let it go.

"Never mind then. Watch Baxter, he can eat a whole slice in three bites."

The boys engaged in various eating contests that made them nauseous before the dinner was over - Carlos was the fastest, but his capacity was nowhere near some of these dwarves' sons. His mood considerably improved, if slightly marred by Jay's ongoing cold shoulder, Carlos agreed to stop by Harry's room later that week to play video games.

That night, though, he waited in his room for Jay to come back so they could talk about what was going on. Dude had found him on his walk back to the dorms, and the dog was currently lounging on the bed. Carlos sat next to him, trying to concentrate on geometry. Normally, math came easily to him, but he was too distressed at that moment to study.

Hours passed. The anxiety returned. Jay wasn't coming back. _He's never coming back. He left me. He's all I had and he left me._ Carlos noticed his hands shaking, and then the tremor slowly spread to the rest of his body. If it hadn't been for Jay, he would've died long ago. How long would he last now that Jay had deserted him?

Frankly, how long did he even want to live without Jay?

 _Relax. He hasn't 'deserted' you. You're overreacting._ Carlos was losing control. He threw his book across the room. Dude jumped off the bed, alarmed, as Carlos punched the headboard. One of his knuckles split and began bleeding. The pain felt good; it eased the pain of abandonment. Dude barked, startling Carlos further. He rolled off the bed and bashed his head against the wall again and again, trying to relieve the agony in his mind. The dog stopped barking, and instead bit Carlos's shoes, trying to drag his foot away from the wall. Carlos kicked Dude off, but the dog persisted.

"No! No! Just leave me alone!" he screamed. Dude dodged another one of Carlos's kicks and pawed at the boy's bare legs. Carlos fell to the floor, angry enough to strangle the animal. He wrapped his arms around Dude's neck. The dog slithered through his grip, turning the choke-hold into a very tight hug. Then, he licked Carlos's face.

For a moment, Carlos's head cleared. Here he was, abusing this dog, and all Dude did in return was show his unconditional love. The mutt kept slobbering all over Carlos until he relaxed and started petting instead of hurting. With each second that passed, he felt himself getting calmer and calmer. Dude's fur was so soft, not at all like the dead, preserved hair that covered Cruella's coats. His little wet nose nuzzled at Carlos's cheek, and he jumped into Carlos's lap to cuddle with him.

 _What have I done?_ Carlos buried his face in Dude's fur. "I'm so sorry, Dude. I never meant to hurt you," he whimpered, tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry..." There was blood on Dude's fur, and it took a second for Carlos to realize it wasn't Dude's. The cut on the back of his hand was still bleeding freely. He didn't care. Instead of washing and bandaging it, he snuggled with Dude on the floor, quietly continuing to pet him.

"What's happening, Dude?" he murmured. "Why does he hate me?" Dude's big brown eyes held no answer.

* * *

Jay missed Carlos so much it hurt, but he had to do this. For the both of them.

He kept himself busy by working out, sleeping in hard-to-find nooks, and hanging out with other tourney teammates. Studying was not a priority for him - they would be out of here in a few weeks anyway. Besides, unlike the others, he hadn't found a single class worth his time.

Carlos had tried multiple times to reach out to him, but by now the little guy had gotten the hint. That victory dinner had been incredible. Jay had been voted the MVP of the game and all he'd heard were congratulations. He would've been soaring if he could've shared it with his best friend...but it was still nice. Jay would miss this, once the villains took over. He doubted tourney or any of his teammates would make it through the war that was sure to follow.

He spent the time after pizza with Ben and a few other guys, making a lame excuse for Carlos so no one would ask about him. Ben showed them to the campus rec room, where tables were set up for ping-pong, pool, and Foosball. Since Jay had never played any of these games before, he decided Foosball was the easiest to learn and teamed up with Taylor to try and demolish Ben and Henry.

"If we beat you, we get free meals at your mom's restaurant for a month, Taylor!" challenged Henry, aggressively spinning his players around their axle. The ball went flying toward's Jay's side but he managed to block it.

"And if WE win, I get to take a selfie in that golden fleece your dad's always going on about!" replied Taylor, receiving a pass from Jay and sending the ball hurtling towards Ben and Henry's goal.

"How about we don't bet things we don't actually own ourselves?" Ben suggested, only to be ignored. Henry and Taylor continued to ask ridiculous things of each others' parents until Tiana's business and Hercules's collection of Greek antiques were all on the line. Jay grinned. He liked gambling, mostly because he usually ended up hustling people out of their money. He was glad this gamble was fake - it turned out he was quite good at Foosball, and winning match after match would've cost his teammates enough for them to hate him.

Ben just rolled his eyes. "Are you sure Carlos wouldn't want to come, Jay? He'd probably have fun."

Jay nearly missed his next shot after the unexpected name-drop. "Uh, no. He's got stuff to do."

"That sounds pretty generic," Taylor said, smirking. "I wonder what he's up to."

"Seems like you have an idea," said Ben dryly.

"Well, you saw how Harry was all over him at dinner." Now Jay really did miss his shot. "Aw, come on, man! We totally had that one!"

"Whoops," muttered Jay.

"Head in the game, Jay. Gotta get your head in the game!"

He didn't know if he wanted to ask more about Harry or just pretend that comment had never been passed. Either way, Taylor was intent on making up for the last shot and had returned to taunting Ben and Henry. When that game finished up, the boys decided it was time to turn in or they'd all be half asleep in class the next day. Since it was past eleven, Jay thought it was probably safe to head back to his dorm - Carlos slept a lot in general and the early wake up time had pushed his schedule back a few hours. When he got there, Carlos's bed was empty. The boy was lying on the floor next to Dude.

One of his hands was covered in blood. A large, purple bruise had formed on his forehead. Jay rushed over to the two of them, accidentally waking the dog when he pushed aside Carlos's hair to get a better view of the bruise. Carlos stirred slightly, but his breathing soon evened out again. Was he sleeping, or had he passed out from this injury? How did he get it? From tourney? Or did he do this to himself?

A low, rumbling noise caught Jay's attention. Dude was growling...at him. The dog was standing protectively over Carlos and baring his teeth at Jay. That and the dried blood on his fur made him look quite a bit more threatening than usual, despite his small size.

"Shit. We need to get both of you cleaned up," Jay said, mostly to himself. He went to the bathroom and ran some warm water over a paper towel, then came back out to gently wipe Carlos's hand with it. The towel turned pink quickly, but at least most of the dried blood was off Carlos's skin. Then, Jay picked up a belligerent Dude, who nipped not-so-playfully at any bare flesh he could find. Setting him in the bathtub, Jay ran the minimum amount of water necessary to wash off the blood, hoping it wouldn't wake his roommate.

When that was done, he returned to the boy sleeping on the floor and hooked his arms behind Carlos's knees and neck, slowly lifting him up. Carlos stirred again, but didn't wake. That was impressive, because Jay had unconsciously held him tightly. The smell of blood was mostly gone, and all that remained was Carlos's familiar scent. Jay gingerly placed him on his bed and tucked him in, sighing in relief when the stirring ceased. Dude hopped up on Carlos's bed and laid down by the boy's side. The dog was soon back in dreamland again.

Jay sighed, only half-aware that he'd slipped his hand into Carlos's. He wished he knew how to fix this, but ever since Carlos's sleepy admission, Jay was terrified that the feelings might be mutual.


	10. Did I Happen To Say

**Sorry, I realize that I accidentally used Harry as the name of Happy's son, but there is no relation to Captain Hook's son.**

* * *

"Mal - "

"Didn't I mention that we don't have to talk every day?" Mal snapped.

She didn't know with whom she was angrier, herself or Ben. Mal was noticing a pattern in their interactions - he tended to leave her speechless and filled with an unfamiliar bubbly feeling that _was not acceptable._ Just seeing him gave her palpitations, like she was being startled every time he was in the room. Was it his fault, or hers? Blaming him was easier, after all, despising him was almost second nature by now.

"You did," he admitted cautiously, aware of the glare she was giving him, "But I actually have a reason."

"What?"

"I need you to come to dinner with me today. There's this place called - "

This was it. She'd had the faintest inkling that they _might_ have been flirting and now he was asking her out and the worst part was that she hesitated for a very long second before blowing up.

"Why on Earth would I ever go to dinner with you?" she spat venomously. "I'm. Not. Interested. And I never will be. Not that I give one single _crap_ about your airhead of a girlfriend, but I thought you might. Turns out you're just as - "

"Mal," Ben interrupted gently, eyebrows raised. "Not as a date. We're meeting someone to discuss moving kids off the Isle."

Her stupidity hit her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes widened and a flush rose to her cheeks. It only got worse when Ben failed miserably at hiding his amusement. "Oh." She cleared her throat and shuffled items around in her locker to avoid looking at him. "Who?"

"A child psychologist. One of the best in Auradon."

That took care of her embarrassment. "You're taking me to see a doctor for crazy people?"

"Not for a personal appointment, Mal. If you don't mind me saying, jumping to conclusions isn't really working out for you."

And it was back. "Fine." Anything to end this conversation as quickly as possible.

She had the rest of the day to get over herself, and her confidence was back by the time she met Ben at his limo after class. He gave her a lopsided smile when she rushed to open her own door before someone could do it for her.

He clicked his seat belt in and turned to her. "So...not a fan of Audrey?" That irritating smile was driving her insane. How dare he tease her about that morning? Or at all? Mal's eyes flashed green, but then she realized she didn't need magic for this one.

"She and Chad were the ones who left that note for Lonnie." She leaned back in her seat as the car began to accelerate, watching with satisfaction as the smirk on his face disappeared. "I saw them drop it on our table."

He was all seriousness now, turning to stare gloomily out the window. "I knew she didn't like this idea, but I had no idea she wanted it to fail." It almost seemed as if Ben was talking to himself. He'd never mentioned Audrey in front of her before.

"But it was your idea. Aren't you heroes supposed to support the people you love?" Mal pressed. She wasn't quite done exacting revenge yet.

Ben was still watching the scenery zoom by. "Mm-hmm."

She was going to follow that up with "So maybe she doesn't love you" but something stopped her. Revenge was one thing, but cruelty was another...and it was much harder than it used to be for her to be cruel. Besides, Ben didn't seem sad so much as pensive.

"There are going to be people like Audrey and Chad everywhere," he said finally. "Maybe we can ask Dr. Rickett about that too."

Mal didn't know who this doctor was, but she doubted he or she could mend the centuries-old rift between good and evil just because Ben asked. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that. Hearing about Audrey and Chad had dampened his seemingly un-dampen-able spirits, and it set her chest to throbbing again. Anything less than an optimistic, confident Ben seemed...wrong. And of course, just to make the whole situation more intolerable, Mal caught herself wondering if Audrey's betrayal or the threat to his plan was hurting him more.

He'd collected himself by the time they reached Tiana's Palace, and greeted the maitre'd with his usual charm. "Table for three, please."

"Of course, Prince Ben." The tuxedo'd man led them to a circular table and left three menus. He pulled the chair out for Mal. _That was my fault. I should've known that was coming._ She sat down and made a point of scooting it in herself. That brought a smile back to Ben's face. He thanked the man and looked over the menu.

"Anything look interesting?"

Mal's eyes traveled over the Cajun-themed fare, unfamiliar words assailing her at every turn. "I don't know what any of this is."

"Hello, all." A balding, red-haired man wearing thick glasses pulled out a chair for himself. "How are you, Prince Ben?"

"Dr. Rickett," greeted Ben warmly. "Good to see you. This is Mal. Mal, this is Dr. Jiminy Rickett."

The name sounded very familiar. Mal asked, "Didn't my mother turn you into a bug once?"

The doctor calmly adjusted his glasses. "A cricket, yes. I believe she thought it poetic. Luckily that particular spell was lifted some time ago, though I've retained a habit of rubbing my hands together. How is Maleficent doing?"

"Still evil."

"I see." He squinted at her. "And you?"

Mal glared at Ben. "I thought you said this wasn't a personal appointment."

"It's not!" Ben held up his hands and threw an imploring glance at Dr. Rickett. "It's not. We're here to talk about all the Isle children. Why don't we order and take it from there?"

Ben helped Mal pick an entree that wouldn't be too foreign for her as of yet inexperienced taste buds. While they were waiting for the dishes to come out, Ben explained the situation to Dr. Rickett.

The psychologist steepled his fingers and frowned. "I would normally never advocate relocating children whose parents are able to take care of them. However, like most of the citizens of Auradon, I'm unaware of the conditions in which these children live. Would you care to enlighten me, Mal?"

Mal shrugged. "The kids on the island aren't like the kids here. They're always crying. They don't clean themselves up often, and they beg for food all the time. Most of them die pretty early, the rest of them we avoid unless we're - Ben?"

The prince's water glass had shattered. Ben's fist remained clenched around where the stem had been. All three of them were surprised, no one more so than Ben. His jaw hung open. "I..." He exchanged a look with Dr. Rickett. A waitress came over, apologizing for what she assumed was a cracked glass, and swept up the fragments. "I just...Jay said something about...but I didn't...there's not enough food on the island? Kids have to beg?"

Mal had to physically unfold each one of his fingers to make sure he hadn't cut himself when he strangled the glass. He looked pale enough to give the impression that he was bleeding out. Out of the corner of her eye, Mal saw Dr. Rickett's gaze drop to Ben's hand in hers, and she let go.

"Mal," said Dr. Rickett gently. "Would you give me a moment alone with Ben?" She looked between the two of them - one calm and professional, the other shell-shocked - and got up.

"The bastard!" Ben sputtered suddenly.

"Thank you, Mal." She recognized that as a dismissal, and walked towards the bathroom. She heard Dr. Rickett begin murmuring things to Ben, but this far away the words were too fuzzy to make out.

The bathroom only had a couple of other patrons in it. Mal ignored them and pretended to fix her hair in the mirror. She hadn't dressed up, mostly because she had so far neglected to buy anything nice, and she stood out like a sore thumb in this rather upscale establishment. Her purple hair wasn't helping. Every new customer that walked into the bathroom stared at her for at least a couple seconds before they remembered what they were there to do.

She thought back to Ben's reaction. Granted, Mal had yet to see many children in Auradon, let alone any beggars, but surely there were places here where people went hungry? There would probably be enough food on the island, if people shared and rationed appropriately - but obviously that wasn't going to happen. Even if Ben sent more food there, the weakest inhabitants would never get enough.

After a few minutes, Mal got fed up and left the bathroom. She caught Dr. Rickett's eye from far away and he gestured to her, assuring her it was safe to return. When she sat back down, she noticed Ben looking ashamed. However, their food had arrived and the smell reminded her that she was actually quite hungry.

"What is this called again?" she asked with a mouthful of vegetables.

"Gumbo," Ben replied glumly.

"It's good." Was she really trying to make him feel better? At any rate, it looked like it worked for a moment - then Dejected Ben was back.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, Mal. Now, to continue our earlier conversation, it appears that children hardly survive, let alone thrive, on the Isle of the Lost. Is that accurate?"

"I guess." She was starting to kind of worry about Ben. He didn't look like he was even going to attempt to participate. _This guy needs to stop talking. Ben can't handle this._

"In that kind of environment, I'd say the chances of healthy psychological development are low."

Ben's fists clenched again, and he looked away. Before she realized what she was doing, Mal stood up and furiously snarled, "What did you do to him?"

All of the diners in their general vicinity fell silent, some forgetting to chew the food in their mouths. Mal's eyes had begun to glow green, and she tried to remember what the cricket spell was. Then, she felt Ben's hand on her arm. Turning to him, she calmed when she noticed he appeared a little less pale.

"Mal, sit down. He didn't do anything." He tugged at her arm, but her eyes still narrowed at a fearful Dr. Rickett. "Dr. Rickett used to be my psychologist when I was a kid."

She hadn't been expecting that. Her earlier comment swam through her mind: _You're taking me to see a doctor for crazy people?_ He hadn't even reacted to that. Mal quietly sat down, as Ben requested. After that, the babble of voices in the restaurant rose to its previous pitch.

Knowing she was waiting for an explanation, Ben continued, "I used to be angry a lot. I mean, my dad was a beast for a long time and there was always a good chance some of his...idiosyncrasies were going to be passed down. Dr. Rickett helped a lot, back in the day. But lately it's been worse."

"Because of us," inferred Mal.

"No!" Ben reached for her hand, but thought better of it. "Because of what was done to you. Because of what my father did to you."

"Ben..." warned Dr. Rickett.

Impatient, Ben added, "I'm not supposed to feel guilty for the actions of another, I know. I know." He sighed at Mal. "Things are really bad between us right now. I haven't talked to him since we fought last week because every time I talk to you I...I just get angrier with him. And with myself, for not doing more."

"You're the only one doing anything," Mal pointed out. _Although technically, so am I. And my plan's more likely to work._

Dr. Rickett smiled. "That's true, Ben." When Ben said nothing, he turned to Mal. "You don't appear to hold any animosity towards Ben."

"About this," she corrected. The corner of Ben's mouth quirked up.

"Fair enough. But Ben, if we're to find a solution, you can't continue to take everything personally. It will not help you reach your goal. It will not help any of the children on that island."

"I understand."

"I'm going to keep asking Mal questions now. Is that alright?" Ben nodded. "Very well. Mal, as I may have implied before, the physical health of a child is directly related to his or her psychological development. Obviously, the emotional health of a child contributes as well. I'd like to ask about your background, but much of this information I assume you'd like to remain confidential. If at any point you do not want to answer, please don't."

He went on to inquire about Mal's childhood specifically - the kinds of games she'd played (none), what her diet had consisted of (stale bread, mostly, sometimes cheese and overripe vegetables), how many friends she'd had (none), whether she'd gotten much exercise (plenty, if you counted running away from older gang members), what her education had been like (she'd heard the losers' side of history, read countless magical spells, practiced pseudo-martial arts, and had the mathematical knowledge of Auradonian students three years her junior). Ben tried to keep a straight face through all of this, but Mal could tell it was difficult for him.

"Did you feel loved by your parents?"

What a stupid question. "I never needed love."

Ben seemed alarmed by this. "Mal - "

"What?" she said bluntly. "The Isle is about survival. You don't need love for survival."

"But everyone needs - "

"Ben," said Dr. Rickett, patient as ever. "I would like Mal to be able to answer without us injecting our own feelings into her narrative." The prince pursed his lips, but quieted down. "Who took care of you when you were a baby?"

"Like who fed me and changed my diapers? Probably Grimhelde, or Lady Tremaine, or whoever my mother told to do it."

"How much time did you spend with your mother?"

"She had me read her spell books and watch while she took care of business around the island."

"What kind of business?"

"Well, she reigns there. Mostly by killing people who defy her."

"So you watched her do this from a young age?"

"Yes." Ben winced, but refrained from 'injecting his feelings'.

"And the others who came with you, were they treated about the same?"

"No." Mal worded her response carefully. "Jay gets along with his father. Jafar wants him to take over the shop eventually. Evie's mother spent a lot of time with her, teaching her how to get a royal husband." Mal rolled her eyes. "And Carlos..."

Dr. Rickett noticed her pause. "What about Carlos?"

She usually avoided talking about Carlos. It was easier to pretend everything was fine. But she'd known him long enough to know that he wasn't like the rest of them. He was...broken, somehow. "I'm done talking."

The psychologist accepted that. "Thank you for all the information you've shared, Mal. At first blush it does seem as if there would be minimal trauma involved in bringing the Isle children here, but I'll need to think. I'd like some time to compile notes and make my recommendations to you both. If possible, I'd like to reach out to the other Isle children at Auradon Prep in the near future."

"To us both?" Mal looked at Ben.

"I want you to be a part of this, Mal. I think we have a better chance of success if we work together." She didn't realize this was going to become a regular part of her schedule. Mal was busy enough as it was, practicing every day to hopefully strengthen her powers enough to teleport the wand out of the vault. In addition to school, of course. Her interest in history had turned into a little bit of a talent. Plus, with Ben's offhand encouragement, she couldn't help but continue sketching. She'd walked by the administrative offices so many times on an impulse to sign up for the art classes, the staff had stopped whispering when they saw her and started waving instead. And now she'd been roped in to helping Prince Rose-Colored Lenses revise a twenty year old law that most of the population did not want changed. Fantastic.

For the remainder of dinner, they talked about the resistance they'd encountered and strategies to counter it. Eventually, Ben excused himself to the restroom. Mal pounced on the opportunity to interrogate Dr. Rickett. "What did Ben get angry about as a kid?" That admission had really surprised her. Ben had always seemed so put together, the perfect hero, but today she'd seen a flaw that made him human. She could sense that ache in her chest again, the one that only Ben caused.

"I'm afraid only Ben can tell you that. By law anything we discussed during his appointments is protected information." He sawed a piece off his rapidly disappearing chicken and popped it in his mouth. "I do love coming here. The food is very unique."

Mal switched to her other question. "Did you know who I was, when you saw me here?"

"Ben informed me of your parentage before our meeting, so yes."

"But you weren't afraid of me?"

Dr. Rickett considered her question. "I tend to agree with Ben that the sins of parents should not be attributed to their children. I have no conflict with you. To be completely honest, I have no conflict with your mother, either. I've long since forgiven her."

"You forgave her," Mal repeated, disbelief coloring her tone. "For turning you into a cricket. Weren't you stuck that way for years?"

"Yes on both counts. But if not for that curse, I never would have found my calling in psychology. I also made several lifelong friends during that time." He beamed at her. "Life has an interesting way of turning out. If you hold on to anger and resentment, as I believe your mother was wont to do, you cannot enjoy life at all. Ben's fury at his father, for example, is straining their relationship. I'm sure you have a few examples of your own in which anger caused tension between you and another. In my experience, it is almost never worth it. Anger towards friends ruins friendships. Anger towards enemies blackens the heart. I choose to be content with my lot, so I forgive and forget."

It was the most absurd thing Mal had ever heard. "If you don't get angry, nothing will ever happen to the people who wronged you."

"And that's alright. Revenge never brings happiness, it only encourages more revenge. Have you ever heard the phrase 'an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind'?"

"No."

"Well, essentially revenge has a way of making everyone feel like they're the victim, and so everyone seeks vengeance. In the end, both sides are left with nothing. Perhaps they have the satisfaction of knowing they've hurt their enemy, but that is short lived."

"So I'm just supposed to forgive every person who makes me angry."

"If you feel it's the right thing to do, yes."

"How do I know if it's the right thing to do?"

He winked. "Let your conscience be your guide."

* * *

Evie had used some of the money Mal conjured up to buy herself a sewing machine. It beat sneaking into the Home Ec room to practice her craft of fashion design. She'd taken a break from chemistry to create a mini-pencil skirt out of bright red fabric she'd ordered online. Having wifi (and an endless supply of cash) was the best thing that had ever happened to her.

She heard Mal's key in the lock, and then the purple haired girl stepped into the room. Evie said nothing - they still weren't talking. Or so she thought.

Evie looked up when Mal gently placed the magic mirror in front of her. "You can use it for whatever you want," she said. "It's about time I realized Fairy Godmother's not going to move this thing."

 _She's giving it back?_ Evie didn't understand. "But..."

"You need it for class, right?"

"I mean, it would be nice, but I thought..."

"Then take it."

Mal wasn't challenging or taunting her. She was sincere. "I thought you were mad at me."

"I was...but you're the only person I really talk to. Someone told me today that staying mad sometimes isn't worth it." This was the closest she had ever seen Mal come to saying sorry. Honored, she smiled at her, and could've sworn the corners of Mal's mouth turned up an almost imperceptible amount - at any rate, she didn't look as cold as usual.

"Thanks for this. I've been wanting to see what my mom's been doing." The mirror still held the image of the floating wand. Evie picked it up and said, "Mirror, mirror in my hand / Show me my mother on the island."

The wand dissolved and was replaced by a woman at the Isle market. She was looking at various scarves and turning up her nose at each one. Mal came and stood by Evie, observing. They couldn't hear anything that was going on, but their memory filled in the calls of the hawkers, the arguing and bargaining, the yells as thieves were caught red-handed. They were both familiar with this scene and Grimhelde was not doing anything interesting.

"Can you check in on my mom?"

Evie did as she asked. Maleficent stood in their home with a short, fat man Evie recognized as Mr. Smee. The pirate was on his knees, begging for something. That something turned out to be his life. A dagger glinted in her hand just a split second before she sliced his neck with it. Blood spilled from the wound. Mr. Smee fell backwards and the blood pooled around his head.

"Same old Maleficent," Evie remarked, impressively keeping her voice from shaking. She had no doubt that would be their fate if they failed to obtain the wand.

"Yeah." Mal clearly had the same thought. "We'll have to hit the coronation. We need a foolproof plan. When is it, exactly?"

"Doug says it was supposed to be on Ben's seventeenth birthday, but since that's during midterms, Ben pushed it to the week after. Friday, I think."

"Okay. So Friday after midterms gives us...four more weeks?"

"About."

"And where is it?"

"No idea."

"Okay," said Mal decisively. "First thing, we need to find out the venue and then get a floor plan. We need to know where we're supposed to be sitting, and where the wand will be. Then we need to get a program so we can figure out timing. If there's a video of King Adam's coronation, we should get our hands on it so we know what to expect."

"There should be one in the library," Evie said. "Historical records. I can find it the next time I go."

Mal nodded. "And we'll need to know the security situation, especially if there will be magical protection. They won't give that information out to just anyone. We'll need to manipulate either Ben, his parents, or Fairy Godmother to tell us. I'm not even sure who the head of security will be."

"I've kept in touch with Jane. She's coming to see me every so often to learn how to do her own makeup."

Mal seemed pleasantly surprised, and Evie swelled with pride. Finally, she could prove to Mal she was an asset. "Ask her, if you can. She might've heard something." She walked over to her bed and sat down. "I think that's a good place to start."

She hadn't pulled out anything to do; Mal was just staring at her hands. "Is there something else you wanted to talk about?" Evie inquired.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how to say it." Evie waited patiently. "So...Ben wants to bring over all the kids from the isle. He's been calling me his 'Isle consultant' and he took me to an orphanage, that day that I was out with him, to see where we would put them. Earlier today we met up with this shrink, who's going to tell us whether or not we're going to traumatize them by taking them away from their parents on the Isle."

Evie's eyes widened. "What?" she spluttered. "How - Why?"

Mal explained everything over the next few minutes. Evie couldn't believe so much had happened just in the last week. "Is he serious?"

"Seems like it."

For the first time, Evie wondered what her life would be like if Auradon remained the same, if they didn't help the villains take over. She'd learned so much over the past two weeks, more than she or anyone else would have thought was possible. She'd met someone absolutely perfect for her, though he wouldn't have a choice but to stay with her once the Evil Queen held the rest of his family hostage. Having an organic relationship would have been nice, but it didn't matter. And knowledge wouldn't be necessary in the new era.

"I'm going to keep playing along," Mal finished. "If I pull out now, he might get suspicious."

"Plus, if it seems like you're planning for a future in Auradon, he won't suspect you're still loyal to the Isle," Evie pointed out. "That's definitely for the best."

Eventually, Mal left to practice some potentially dangerous spells a safe distance from any other humans. Evie waited for five minutes after Mal was gone, just to make sure she wasn't coming back for any reason. Then she picked up her mirror again. "Mirror, mirror in my hand / Show me the fairest boy in the land."

The son of Cinderella was in his room, playing cards with one of the younger sons of Rapunzel. Evie's eyes narrowed; so much for being 'busy'. It didn't make any sense - he was obviously in love with her, and she was too beautiful for him to be blowing her off. Why wouldn't he spend time with her?

* * *

"Hey, man," Doug greeted Carlos. "Come on in."

Carlos stepped into the room and nodded at Harry, who was selecting a game on their system. "I didn't know you guys were roommates."

"Yeah, well, why would I advertise that I'm stuck with my doofus of a cousin?" Harry said goodnaturedly, holding out a controller to Carlos. "You wanna play, Dougie?"

"Don't call me that," Doug complained. "And no. I have some reading to catch up on."

"Nerd," Harry muttered. "You see what I have to deal with?"

Despite Carlos's generally bad mood over the past few days, Harry had him smiling in minutes. _I should've come sooner,_ he realized. But he couldn't have. Waking up the day after the game with a lot of self-inflicted injuries, he hadn't wanted to see anyone except Evie and her concealer. It worked well enough for class, where no one cared, but if anyone looked close enough they would have known he was covering a large contusion on his forehead. By the weekend, though, it had faded. He'd felt safe enough to make good on his promise to Harry.

They virtually bashed each other's heads in for about an hour. Doug started out shushing them every time they yelled, but eventually gave up reading and watched the ongoing fight. "This is so violent," he observed. "It can't be good for you."

"This? This isn't violent," said Carlos. "There isn't even any blood. You can't even die, you just get knocked out."

"Don't even try, Carlos," Harry interjected dramatically. "He's a lost cause."

The boys paused the game to grab some water. Harry dished an embarrassing story involving baby Doug and a terrifying rubber duck. Judging by Doug's groan, this was not the first, or even the tenth, time that he'd heard it, but Carlos found it hilarious.

"Evie's gonna find that sooo attractive, dude," Carlos assured him sarcastically.

"Are you still chasing that girl? She's way out of your league, man," said Harry.

Doug shrugged, but no one missed his blush. "I'm not chasing, I'm just friends with her."

"Sure. Bro, you've got about as much a chance as ending up with her as I do." For Carlos's benefit, Harry explained, "And I'm not into girls."

Carlos's expression froze. He didn't know how to react to that. No one just admitted it, out loud, in front of someone they barely knew. "What?" he asked, his throat dry.

"Yep. Funny how Happy's son turned out to be gay," remarked Doug dryly, "Seeing as those words are technically synonyms."

"Keep trying, Dougie. No one's ever going to laugh at that joke."

They were both so casual about it. Carlos had seen what was done to gay men on the island. He knew how it worked. But Harry was clearly some superlative form of dumbass, because here he was, laying it out for all to see. Part of Carlos wanted to give in to the Isle culture, to bite Harry's head off about how abnormal and disgusting he was.

The other part of Carlos wanted to admit his secret.

"I'm not," he said suddenly. Doug and Harry looked at him in confusion. "I'm not...gay, I mean. I'm into girls. Like, um...I think Evie's hot. And Audrey." They were objectively pretty, he reasoned. But Doug and Harry were giving him strange looks.

"No one said you had to be, bro," Harry replied, slowly.

 _He knows I'm lying._ Carlos panicked. _They both know I'm lying. How do they know? How?_

"You know what, I actually have to go." Doug moved aside as Carlos barreled towards the door. "This was fun. See ya."

He ran all the way back to his dorm, admittedly not very far away, and slammed the door behind him. Only then did he lean on it and catch his breath. His heart was still pounding.

* * *

"I trust you all had a ' _good'_ weekend," Fairy Godmother joked, winking obnoxiously. Jay fought back a groan. He wondered how long she'd spent planning that pun.

Mal and Evie exchanged exasperated looks. At least they were on good terms again. Jay had taken to sitting behind them, away from Carlos on the other side of the classroom. The younger boy had brought Dude along, and the dog was sitting in Jay's former seat. _Nice to know I've been replaced by a mutt._

"Our topic today is happiness." She looked over their confused expressions. "Surprised? You shouldn't be. The heroes are still human, and they need an incentive to act the way they do. Happiness is the reason good people choose to be good. Unless...can you describe to me a time when you felt truly happy?"

"Kinda hard to be happy when we're stuck on that trash heap," Jay pointed out. The answer was no, for all of them, and he knew it. His and Carlos's relationship was the closest any of them had ever come to being happy, and he'd thrown that away to keep them alive.

"Very true." Fairy Godmother sounded a little uncomfortable. "But all evil has a price. Those that give in to evil can never truly feel the happiness that rewards all those who are good. Whether it is because they are imprisoned, or because their greed prevents contentedness, or because there is no love in their life, the evil cannot be happy. We see this time and time again in history."

She furnished several examples from stories Jay knew the other side of, but was careful not to use any that the kids were too close to. Lady Tremaine craved the throne and ended up poorer than dirt. Gothel wanted to live forever and died before her time. Captain Hook fell prey to his own vengeful plot. Ursula never got Ariel's soul. The list went on and on.

Fairy Godmother's conclusion could not have been more obvious. Evil doesn't win.

 _Except it might, in one final, destructive war that we're going to bring to Auradon's doorstep._

Then what? Would the revenge of their parents give him any satisfaction? They would go back to their old lives. Jay would have to pretend again, and he'd never get Carlos back. He'd lose the team he'd grown to value. The friends he'd made would all be killed. Hell, he might even be killed in the ensuing battle. Was it worth it? Why were they doing this?

 _Because your dad is stuck there. And because if you don't, and they ever get out on their own, they'll kill you._

* * *

 **Reviews help me write faster... ;)**


	11. I Dream Of You Everyday

**Thank you all for the lovely reviews! Let's do this.**

* * *

Mal was having that dream again. It was different only in the new details her mind had added.

 _She was sitting in a grassy glade surrounded by trees. The leafy canopies were far enough away that the sun shined unimpeded upon the two students. Ben was lounging comfortably, the coveted crown still on his head. "Give it to me!"_

 _He laughed at her. "Come and get it!"_

 _Mal stood, accepting his challenge. "Don't make me hurt you, Bennyboo," she mocked. He didn't look the least bit scared._

Mal awoke and reflexively glanced at the clock. Four a.m. Evie was out cold, and would stay that way for another two hours. Nevertheless, Mal was as quiet as possible as she slipped on her shoes and jacket. She grabbed her spell book and opened the door, wincing when the hinges creaked. Evie did not stir.

She trekked towards the woods behind the tourney field, looking for a spot that was sufficiently secluded. There were no large clearings in these woods, but some were big enough that she would probably only knock down a few trees if today's practice was successful.

Mal set down the book and opened it to the last few pages, which contained the most powerful and difficult spells. Some of these were so ancient they were in a different language entirely, though Maleficent had been kind enough to write the meanings and pronunciations out in English. Mal flipped through until she struck gold: _Dragonform._

Her heart raced. Maleficent could do it, why not her? In fact, Maleficent in her heyday regularly turned into a dragon without saying a word. Mal didn't expect to be that proficient, but it didn't matter. She couldn't even imagine the terror in the Auradonian's hearts when they saw not one, but two fire-breathing monsters bearing down on them in the battle that would precede the villains' takeover.

The spell was in Welsh, the preferred magical language of Merlin...and Morgana. With a deep breath, Mal recited:

 _Rhyddhewch y ddraig y tu mewn i mi  
_ _I ddod â thân a dinistri_

She waited for scales to appear, for her body to grow, for wings to sprout from her back, for anything. Nothing happened. Confused, Mal read over the incantation, practiced it in her mind, and said it again. Still nothing.

For the next hour, Mal repeated the spell again and again and again but always got the same unsatisfactory result. What was she missing? A Welsh accent? A hand motion that hadn't been written in? She tried everything, but she had yet to expel a single spark. By the time dawn broke, she was frustrated beyond belief. She'd already thrown the book at a tree and was ready to rip out the offending page. Every other spell had at least given her some indication that magic was happening. With this one, she couldn't even feel the familiar rush in her blood.

It was more painful than just failure; she'd spent her entire life believing she would one day be as powerful as her mother. She'd always been respected and feared because other people thought that too. But with each futile attempt, she gave more and more weight to the possibility that she was weak, worthless for anything except elementary tricks. Mal wondered if Maleficent had always known, and for that reason had never given Mal the time of day.

She brooded over this at breakfast, though her mood was slightly improved when she saw Ben and Audrey in a quiet but heated exchange by his locker. When Mal approached to grab her books, Audrey's attention shifted and her expression soured.

"I can't believe you're going to trust her over me," said the princess, miffed. "Did anyone else see it happen?"

"I'm not trying to prove anything, Audrey. I just want to know why." Ben hadn't even greeted Mal, who quickly figured out this conversation was a direct consequence of revealing the note writers' identities to Ben.

"I didn't do it. How could you accuse me?"

Ben sighed, finally turning to Mal. "Audrey says she didn't threaten Lonnie. Apparently Chad acted alone." The addition of 'apparently' spoke volumes.

"I see," said Mal casually. "That's good. I was planning on cursing the letter with this." She dug the incontinence spell out of her locker to show Ben and Audrey. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Ben snorted. His girlfriend lost most of the color in her face. "I think Chad deserves it, don't you?"

"You can't do that," said Audrey with trepidation. "She can't do that, right, Ben?"

"She shouldn't," he admitted mildly. "I think Fairy Godmother might have a discussion with you about your use of magic if you're not careful, Mal."

Mal smirked. "I think I can survive an extra lecture with her. Is that the only punishment I'd get?"

"I think so."

"Okay!" interrupted Audrey. "I did it. Alright? But I was just trying to keep Lonnie away from this freak so she doesn't get killed!"

Ben, disappointed, opened his mouth to defend Mal but the purple-haired girl spoke first. "If I wanted to kill Lonnie, she'd be dead already." Not entirely true; Lonnie would likely die soon after the coronation. Mal, finding that thought less than pleasant, pushed it to the back of her mind.

"Not helping," the prince told her. To Audrey, he clarified, "What she means to say is, Mal isn't trying to kill anyone. She's just trying to fit in here, and it's a lot harder on her when other people try to isolate anyone who's different." He gave Audrey a pointed look. "Why did you lie to me?"

His girlfriend pouted. "It was for a good reason. These people are dangerous and they need to go back to where they came from." Her voice softened. "I'm just trying to protect you, Bennyboo." Audrey lifted her hand to his face, grazing her fingers along his cheekbone. Mal experienced a familiar feeling - like Evie had gotten a rare compliment from Grimhelde, or Jay had stolen something far more valuable than she had. Jealousy. _Why?_ "You're just too trusting. It's cute, mostly, but in this situation it's going to hurt all of us. What kind of a king would that make you?"

Ben jerked his face away from her, which afforded Mal a small prickle of satisfaction. "What kind of a king would I be if I kept innocent people locked up, Audrey?"

She dropped her hand, huffing. "You're being stubborn, Ben. I can see we're not going to agree on this."

"I guess not," Ben said. "But can I ask you just to give this proclamation a chance? I'm not expecting you to like it, but if you could...you know...not actively sabotage it, I would appreciate it."

Audrey looked like she was going to argue some more, and Mal was ready to fire back with some choice words of her own. After glancing at Mal's face, though, the princess backed down. "Fine," she said primly. "I'll be the bigger person here. The _better_ person." Her self-satisfied smirk irked Mal all the more. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Noted," replied Mal dryly. Audrey shot her a glare, so she missed Ben suppressing a smile. Mal was beginning to enjoy how easily she could amuse him, especially since Audrey seemed unable to.

The princess stepped in front of Mal, her back to the other girl so that she was only speaking to Ben. "Let's just put this whole thing behind us, Bennybear. We're still doing dinner after dance practice, right?"

"Of course. I'd also prefer not to fight over dinner...or at all," he admitted. She kissed his cheek, and jealousy stirred in Mal's stomach again. "I'll see you then."

"Alright. And I made surprise reservations for your birthday dinner, so don't try to find out where we're going." Audrey winked at him, gave Mal a cold nod, and clip-clopped away in her heels.

"You take dancing lessons?" Mal asked after Audrey left, smirking. "I can't say I'm surprised."

Ben rolled his eyes. "You knock a lot of things without trying them, Mal. But yes. Audrey and I have to practice for our first dance after the coronation."

"Gross." Mal put the spell back into her locker and fished for her books, trying to banish the image of the couple twirling around in front of the entirety of Auradon. Without looking at him, she muttered, "You're really going to let her off that easy?"

He didn't answer for a while, until Mal closed her locker door and saw that he was staring off into space, thinking hard about his next words. "I'm trying Dr. Rickett's method of letting her see for herself that she's wrong. I'm afraid that punishing her for being scared is only going to make it worse. And it'll just make her martyr for other people who are afraid too." Mal wasn't about to argue. She didn't care what everyone else thought, she would kill them all when the time came. But Ben...he was so lenient with Audrey. Why was he with her at all? And why did that concern Mal? "I know this is hard, Mal, especially for the four of you. You're probably being ostracized everywhere you go, and that's not going to stop anytime soon. I wish I could fix everything with a magic wand, but I don't think magic works that way."

"It doesn't," Mal agreed. Her feelings got more complicated with every passing second. His straightforwardness and sincerity were not helping. She wanted this time with Ben to end so that she could focus on what was important, rather than all this frivolous drama that would mean nothing in a couple of weeks. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. The four of us don't need them."

"Mal - "

"It's not that big of a deal." She started walking to her class, but Ben laid a hand on her shoulder.

"It is, though. Especially because...I've been thinking about what you said," Ben confided quietly, "About not having love on the island."

"Not needing it," she corrected him.

"Yeah. But you're in Auradon now, and it shouldn't be that way. Love is something everyone deserves, even if you _think_ you don't need it." He gave her his 'Ben look,' as Mal had dubbed it, and she felt the world fade away around them. "I hope you eventually find it here."

* * *

Evie and Jay watched the video of King Adam's coronation they'd checked out from the library. Jay wasn't really paying attention, but Evie was taking meticulous notes. First, Adam greeted the crowd at the main gates of what was now Auradon Prep. Then, he and Belle had taken a short carriage ride to a great hall several blocks down the road. The procession was surrounded by citizens of Auradon the entire way. Once they reached the hall, the future king and queen dismounted and posed for photos.

The video went on. Jay fell asleep multiple times, and kept jolting himself awake. Evie ignored him. She sketched a rough plan of the hall and included decorations.

"Why am I here again?" asked Jay during a rare waking moment.

"No one asked you to come. You made the assumption that a theft can't be planned without you."

Jay wrinkled his nose. "When'd you start talking like that? Have you ever used the word 'assumption' in a sentence before?"

"Screw you."

"That's more like it."

He was right, though. Evie had started noticing these little things now that she spent most of her free time studying. She'd grown to like how learning expanded her mind and arranged the world in a way that made sense. She suddenly had explanations for things - like when her skin had reacted to a new brand of makeup, the words 'inflammation' and 'hypersensitivity' jumped to the forefront of her mind. She'd read about it in a biochemistry book not long before that incident. Evie loved having answers, and she was never going back to being the dumb, useless bimbo she was expected to be. Beauty was still of paramount importance to her, but who said beauties couldn't have brains?

Someone knocked at her door, and Evie minimized the window on the laptop she'd borrowed before she went to see who it was. "Doug?"

"Hey, Ev - " The bespectacled boy noticed Jay sitting at Evie's desk. "Um...I was researching some of the properties of boron and I think I have an explanation for the reaction that didn't make sense to us before..." His eyes kept flitting towards the taller boy smiling at him.

"Well, that sounds great," said Jay. "But I've booked Evie for the evening, bud. Try again tomorrow?"

"Don't, Jay," Evie threatened. She knew what he was trying to do - return the favor for what she'd done in front of Carlos. Evie wasn't sure she wanted him to. "We'll go over it tomorrow, Doug. Jay and I were in the middle of a movie."

"Oh." Doug attempted to look unfazed, but he was a terrible liar. "Okay. I'll just see you later then."

The door closed behind him, and Jay snickered. "Does he seriously think he has a chance with you?"

"Leave him alone." Evie surprised even herself by defending him. She quickly added, "You know I like attention."

"Yeah, but from legit guys. Not from some nerd."

"He's sweet," Evie argued. "Besides, it's fun being worshiped. Let me have this."

Jay rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I guess its entertaining. Doesn't Chad have a problem with him, though?"

Evie returned to her notes, hiding her uncertainty. "I don't know. Haven't talked to Chad much lately. But it doesn't matter."

"You sure?" She looked up, startled. He actually sounded concerned.

"I'm sure." For a moment, Evie decided to stop at that. But then all her insecurity about this relationship came pouring out. She told him about meeting Chad only to exchange the homework assignments she did for him, about watching his abundant free time through her mirror but listening to myriad excuses about how busy he was, about Mal seeing him leave a note for Lonnie that rebuked her for hanging out with Isle kids. "What does it all mean?"

"I don't know," said Jay. "Want me to find out?"

* * *

When Carlos answered the door, he was surprised to see Harry on the other side. His teammate looked a little bashful, which was supposed to be one of his uncles' characteristics.

"Uh, hey."

"Hey," said Carlos slowly. "What's up?" He was aware that his abrupt exit the day before had probably appeared strange. He didn't know how to address that, or the boy before him.

"Listen, about yesterday...I'm really sorry."

The apology was unexpected. "About what?" asked Carlos. If anything, he should be the one apologizing, freaking out like he had.

"I talked to Evie last night. Well, Doug talked to Evie and told me about it. I didn't realize...I mean, I wasn't trying to pressure you into anything. I was just hoping we could be friends, actually. You're a cool guy."

Carlos couldn't believe Harry was so adept at putting himself in someone else's shoes. Carlos was unable to do the same, so he appreciated it all the more. The other boy hadn't even accused him of anything that would make him uncomfortable. "Thanks." Awkwardly, he stepped aside. "Um, wanna finish up that game? Unless you're busy."

Harry smiled. "I'm not. Let's do it."

* * *

"So what have we learned?" asked Mal.

"You mean, what has _Evie_ learned," Jay corrected. The four of them were strewn around Mal and Evie's room. Carlos had brought Dude, and was siting in a corner, stroking the dog's fur. Evie had her laptop and notebook open. Mal and Jay had taken separate beds, and were glaring at each other.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mal snarled.

"It means - "

"Guys," Evie interrupted. "Can we just stick to the agenda for once? Anyone want to hear the program?"

"Yeah." Carlos, at least, was interested in getting this meeting over with.

"No. I want to know what Jay's problem is," demanded Mal.

Jay happily granted her request. He'd spent the majority of the day with Evie, and after hearing everything Evie was dealing with in addition to Chad, he felt like he had to do something. "My problem is that Evie's been stuck with the research and recon and logistics, while you've got nothing. At least I'm trying to help." Jay pointedly ignored Carlos's lack of contribution. "You've been spending all your time with _Ben_."

Mal's jaw dropped, and Evie's eyes widened. Jay just puffed up his chest and continued. "You think we haven't noticed? Where do you keep going with him, in that fancy limo?"

The two girls exchanged looks. Mal inquired, "Evie, where was Belle when Fairy Godmother was using the wand in the coronation?"

Evie consulted her notes. "She...was...right next to them. There was a platform for Adam and Fairy Godmother, and Belle was off to the side of it."

"That's what I thought," Mal said, though her shaky voice implied she hadn't thought that at all. "Belle was close to the wand during the coronation, close enough to take it. We can probably assume Ben's girlfriend would be in about the same place."

"Audrey?" questioned Carlos. "How would that help?"

"Not Audrey." With every word, Mal's conviction was growing. "Ben's new girlfriend. Me."

Silence settled on the four of them, heavy as a blanket. Then Jay came to his senses and erupted in laughter. "You?" he gasped. "Why the hell would Ben ever date you? You've got to be the last person he would - "

"Shut up and listen," said Mal coldly. Her eyes glinted, and Jay sobered immediately. "There's a powerful potion in my mother's spell book. A love potion." Now she really had his attention. "It's not easy, and my magic might not be strong enough to make it work properly. So I thought, the more familiar he is with me, the more susceptible he might be. If the potion works, I'll be in arm's reach of the wand at the coronation." Her eyes were still a bright green when she narrowed them at Jay. He felt the air around him thinning, and was unpleasantly reminded of the last time he'd angered her. "For the record, Ben doesn't find me as repulsive as you think he does."

Jay knew better than to retort. Besides, he'd been an idiot for thinking Mal would reveal every part of her plans to him, or to anyone. Having Mal close to Fairy Godmother when the wand was vulnerable would rid them of about a hundred obstacles.

Mal turned to Evie. "But as much as I hate to admit it, Jay's not wrong. You've been working hard on this. You've been the point person on Jane, on the program, on the security detail, on the floor plan. We all need to pull our own weight."

Evie smiled. "It's okay, Mal. I've never been useful before. You've never really needed me, have you?" Mal frowned, but didn't disagree. The blue-haired girl turned to a new page in her notebook. "Now you do. So what do you say to making Ben a love potion-laced birthday present?"

* * *

 **And we're off!**


	12. I'm In Love With You

**And we're almost done with set-up, everyone! Here begins the real story (when I say begins I kind of mean we're at the half-way point).**

* * *

Ben's birthday was still several days away, so Mal had a little time to continue her 'plan' of getting him to warm up to her.

She didn't know where that lie came from. Mal'd had to act fast, especially since Jay's accusation struck a nerve and left her dumbfounded. She really _had_ been spending a lot of time with Ben. Sometimes she would get so caught up talking to him during breaks, she'd miss half of lunch before she realized the time. Ben was so earnest in his singular goal of taking children on the island, he often lost track of time too. He'd gotten a list of children from her - at least, the ones that had been living when she left - and drew up paperwork for the elder children to be transferred to Auradon Prep. Merryweather had been alerted as to the number of incoming orphans, and Ben had taken Mal back to the orphanage multiple times to help set up a sort of 'rehabilitation wing' to integrate the Isle kids into Auradonian society. Dr. Rickett agreed to take on a tenured position in which he'd be in charge of this wing. Ben had even started canvassing the land for couples willing to adopt, though that hadn't been going well. Undeterred, he'd told Mal that his proclamation had made some of the provinces in Auradon uneasy, so he'd also been working extra hard to listen to all of their concerns, whether or not they were related to the Isle children, and solve problems where he found them. He'd inadvertently vented to Mal about new safety regulations for the diamond mines, a dinner with the Servants' Union, and a whole host of other things he had a hand in.

Mal had to admire his energy. Somehow he was managing all of this and his schoolwork, and he wasn't even king yet. "Do you even sleep?" she'd asked him after a particularly impressive rant on the curriculum he planned to implement at the Children's Village Rehabilitation Wing.

"Not much," he admitted. "There's still so much to do, and the coronation isn't that far away. I don't want those kids to wait any longer than they have to."

Mal was getting used to her heart aching when he talked like this - which was funny, because before she met him she would've sworn she didn't have a heart. She'd decided there was no need to kill him when the real battle went down, though she couldn't justify this decision. His friends and family would be dead, he'd hate the new world order, someone would probably end up killing him anyway because he could be rather annoying, and what would he even do among villains? Be a slave? He was just so genuinely _good_. The whole point of the villain takeover was that no good people would be left, let alone the king of that particular group. Yet, Mal found it too hard to condemn him to death, as hard as it would be to do the same to Evie. Perhaps he - and Auradon in general - had somehow made her soft. Hopefully that would resolve in the near future; she couldn't afford to _not_ be evil.

 _Not be evil?_ How could she even think such a thing?

None of that really explained why she'd opted for the love potion. Maybe Ben's mushy comment about love earlier that week had something to do with it. Either way, she was stuck now. Her gang seemed to think it was a good idea, though they didn't share her doubts about her ability to brew it. The failure to morph into a dragon had taken a toll on her confidence.

Ben had noticed, though. Her countenance couldn't have been much different, broody and sarcastic as she was, but it was enough for him. "Is everything okay?" he'd asked a couple of days into her self-pity slump.

"Yeah."

Ben was unconvinced. "I haven't heard a single insult from you. I really can't get through my day without them."

"What kind of person enjoys being insulted?" said Mal gruffly, unwilling to entertain anyone at the moment.

"I don't enjoy being insulted. I just like your sense of humor."

Mal felt a glow in the pit of her stomach that chased away some of the dejection. Nevertheless, she replied, "I don't have a sense of humor."

"Sure you do. It's just all dry and deadpan. We don't get a lot of that around here."

"No kidding," drawled Mal.

Ben smiled warmly. "There it is. Kind of weak, but I'll take it." The corner of Mal's mouth twitched; in that moment she understood how he saw humor in her insults.

And then she realized how easy it had become for him to make her smile.

"I have to go," she said quickly, closing her locker. The end of the school day generally meant tourney practice for Ben. Today, though, he'd wanted to quickly cover the duties Merryweather was willing to transfer to Mal, now that she'd grown a little less wary of her.

"What about the - "

"I'm busy." She wasn't. She didn't know where to go, but she was walking with a purpose, regardless. Mal cleared her mind of all thoughts about Ben. Since she was heading in the general direction of the library, she continued on that path.

Auradon Prep's library was a cavernous room. Thick columns branched like trees about sixty feet in the air where they contacted the ceiling. Spiral staircases led from one loft-like level to another. Towering bookcases were organized into neat rows in most of the library, and the rest of the space contained computers, desks, armchairs, and small conference tables. A combined front desk and tech hub housed the library's cache of rental laptops, movies, and other computing accessories. Mal marched up to the front desk and said, "I'm looking for history books about Morgan Le Fay...or Morgana...or - "

"Yes, yes," said the short librarian. "I know who that is. You'll find her on Level 2, in the medieval history section. Just look for all the books on King Arthur and Merlin, she'll be there somewhere."

A few minutes of searching revealed only three thin books entirely dedicated to Morgan Le Fay. It was just as well; Mal wasn't one for intensive reading. She skimmed the first book, _Morgana: A Biography,_ and was surprised to find hand-drawn pictures and old English text. This book had clearly been magically preserved. One of the drawings was especially interesting - Morgan Le Fay in the middle of transforming into a dragon. Her human head and torso gave way to scaly hind legs and a large tail. _So I guess everyone can do this except for me,_ Mal thought bitterly before chastising herself for being over-dramatic. Two people was a far cry from 'everyone'.

The book was a little hard to understand, but the passage about Morgana's use of the Dragonform spell contained important details. From what Mal could decipher, Morgana had only transformed three times - twice while battling Merlin, and once when facing the sword Excalibur. Mal had never asked her mother how often she became a dragon; she'd just assumed it got easy with practice and could be done at will. _Maybe not. Maybe there's a reason she only did it in life-or-death situations._

Then again, the book could be wrong. It's not like Morgan Le Fay sat down for an interview.

Mal vowed to keep trying anyway. She did not want to walk into a war without knowing if her secret weapon even existed.

* * *

"Okay, I've added the flour. What else do we need?" asked Evie.

Mal, Evie, and Jay had gotten together to create the all-important love potion. Jay wasn't really needed, and Carlos even less so. The younger boy had been given the job of distracting Doug so he wouldn't come looking for Evie. As it turned out, one of Carlos's friends was Doug's roommate and cousin, so this was no problem. Or rather, almost no problem - for some reason it made Jay very sulky.

"Walnuts?" suggested Mal, poking through the pantry.

"I know they're one of the ingredients, but are they magically necessary? I mean, nuts are a common allergy," Evie pointed out. "You could accidentally kill him, and we still need him alive."

Mal rolled her eyes. "We can't just hand him a tasteless ball of dough and expect him to eat it. He'll be fine." She rummaged around some more. "Wow, look at this. Bite sized chocolate. Why does the bag say 'chips'?" The teardrop shaped morsels were dumped in as well.

"Sugar coming through," announced Jay, alarmingly close to pouring the sweetener from the bag directly before Evie stopped him.

"We need to measure it, Jay! If you put the wrong amount of ingredients in, they might not react the way they're supposed to and the spell won't have the potency we need," she argued.

Mal looked impressed with Evie's explanation, which did wonders for Evie's pride. Jay, however, muttered, "What the hell is _potency_?"

"I got the powdered witch hazel and bella donna from the apothecary today," said Mal, handing the aforementioned powders over. "Hope they work better if they're fresh."

"Bella donna's deadly, isn't it? Didn't the guy ask you what you were using them for?" inquired Jay.

"Yeah. Said it was for acne," Mal responded airily. Evie snickered.

The fairy girl then ran her fingers through her hair, catching one or two loose locks that fell away into her hands. "A strand of my hair." A purple flame appeared in her hand, incinerating the strand. Evie mixed in the ashes.

"Gross," Jay observed.

"Alright, Mal. It's all you."

She approached the bowl, took the spoon from Evie, and began stirring while murmuring, " _Qui coctione hac sumat / sine omni condicione me amat._ " Her eyes glowed a bright green. The cookie dough seemed to pulse with life in the bowl. Mal chanted the spell twice more and then removed the spoon, tapping it on the side of the bowl to release any lingering dough. "Let's roll these into balls and put them in the oven."

As they were doing so, Evie mulled over any possible obstacles to this plan. "Any chance this spell can be broken by accident? You know, before the coronation?"

"It's unlikely," Mal responded, placing a perfect orb of cookie dough onto the cookie sheet, "The counter spell needs a a tear of sadness from me, which is obviously not going to happen. I suppose he could get true love's kiss from Audrey...but I kind of doubt he - _they_ actually love each other." This surprised Evie. She hadn't often seen Ben and Audrey together, but the entire school considered them a power couple - the perfect future king and queen. If they weren't really in love - and since Mal hadn't cried for several years now - the spell would probably hold for as long as they needed it to.

"I guess we just need to make sure no one starts chopping onions in front of you," said Jay. Baking did not come as naturally to him; he struggled to create the same size spheres as Evie and Mal.

"Don't be stupid, Jay. Tears of sadness have a different protein content than reflex tears, so those wouldn't work anyway."

" _Don't be stupid, Jay_ ," he mocked in a high-pitched voice. "You're becoming a real smartass, Evie." She took that as a compliment. After all, no one had ever called her smart before, even in an underhanded way.

Fifteen minutes later, a dozen golden-brown, chocolate morsel-dotted cookies were pulled out of the oven. They smelled divine - even Evie was tempted, but the combined deterrents of a high calorie count and the consequent infatuation with Mal were enough to dissuade her.

"Damnit," lamented Jay. "We have to throw the rest of these out, don't we?"

"Yeah. I don't need multiple people in love with me. One is already too much."

* * *

Carlos flopped into bed after returning from Harry and Doug's room. He'd been playing video games with his teammate while discussing his latest engineering project with Doug, who'd been surprised to find out about Carlos's tinkering hobby. It was past ten, though, and he had a full day of soldering and welding in between classes tomorrow.

The nightmare was unexpected. He'd begun to feel so safe in Auradon. He hadn't been severely injured in weeks, not to mention the lack of verbal and emotional abuse he'd been so used to. It almost felt like Cruella couldn't touch him here.

" _Can't I?" His mother looked even more inhuman than he remembered her. She'd laid out her cobalt fur coat on a nearby chair, as she always did when he was to be punished, so the fur wouldn't get dirty. Her white-and-black hair was in disarray, her eyes shined crazily, and a blood-red lipstick stained her lips - it matched the polish on her fingertips._

 _Except that wasn't nail polish, it was actually blood. Carlos's blood. He suddenly realized there was a deep cut in his left arm._

 _Cruella lashed out, her fingernails scraping chunks of skin off his cheek. Before he could even slap his hand over the gash to stop the bleeding, her stiletto'd boot had sunk into his stomach. She'd made sure the heel punctured his abdomen. Then he was writhing on the floor and she was beating him with a cane, laughing maniacally all the while. "Tell me, little boy, are you ever going to run away from me again?"_

 _He couldn't answer. Blood dribbled from his lips, just as tears dribbled from his eyes._

 _"Are you ever going to run away from me again? I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, YOU USELESS ANIMAL!"_

 _"No!" he gurgled. "No!"_

Carlos tossed and turned himself awake. His heart was racing and sweat dotted his forehead. He was actually crying, though the pain was only in his mind. He _had_ physically felt it, once. That dream wasn't a dream - it was a memory.

* * *

Mal and Jay saw Ben approaching and exchanged glances.

"You ready?" he asked her.

"Yes." She was lying.

Jay was tired. He felt exhaustion in each and every one of his bones. The sleepless nights were getting to him - the sneaking around and the loss of the only person he could really talk to only added to the trouble. He didn't know what was going on in his classes, and his tourney skills were starting to diminish, but damn it if he wasn't going to see this scheme through, at least. Besides, if the spell didn't work and Ben realized something was wrong, a quick KO might be needed.

He stepped off to the side, pretending to send flirtatious looks to a pretty girl across the hallway.

"Morning, Mal," he heard Ben say behind him.

"Happy birthday," Mal replied, presumably revealing the cookie.

"What's this?"

"A cookie."

"Yeah, but...why?"

"Don't people get presents for birthdays here?"

"They do, I just...wow, Mal. Thank you." What a sap. He actually sounded touched. Jay heard the crinkle of plastic as Mal handed the dessert over. "Did you make this?"

"Yeah. Made more, but we ate a lot of them."

"Art _and_ baking. I didn't realize you were so talented." Jay sneaked a peek. Ben was about to bite into it, but then changed his mind, and Mal tensed. "I was sure this would happen eventually."

Momentary panic. Jay's heart stopped, and he was sure Mal's had too. Nevertheless, her tone was even. "What?"

"That you would stop hating me and that we'd actually become friends," he teased.

Mal's smirk was audible in her voice. "Sure. That's what this is."

He finally, _finally_ crumbled off a piece and put it in his mouth. "Mmm...this is delicious. Chocolate chip is my favorite." Ben took another bite.

"I probably should've asked if you were allergic to walnuts."

He swallowed and then laughed. "Probably. But I'm not, so I guess that fo - " Suddenly, he was quiet. Jay couldn't take the suspense, and turned around to see what was happening.

Ben was staring wide-eyed at Mal, like she was the first girl he'd ever seen. The half-eaten cookie languished in his grip, forgotten. Mal chewed on her lip, probably as unsure as Jay was about what came next.

"Mal..." Ben whispered reverently. Jay took a step closer, since it didn't look like Ben was paying attention to much else besides the enchantress in front of him. "You have no idea how much this means to me." He gestured to the cookie. "I mean, just to know you thought of me? Best birthday present I could've gotten."

He'd gone completely starry-eyed. Mal was grinning in victory, and the smile was contagious. Finally, something had gone right. "Yeah, no problem."

Without warning, Ben grabbed one of Mal's hands. "There's something I have to say, Mal. Something you need to know." Mal's expression quickly returned to anxiety. Jay knew she wasn't used to being touched at all, let alone romantically. He tried not to laugh at her. "From the moment I met you...well, even before then. You know how long I'd spent thinking about you. And when I first saw you, and it turned out that the girl I'd wondered about for years was the most beautiful girl on Earth, I knew you had to be the one for me."

"Um..." Mal slipped her hand out of Ben's. "I think you're confusing me with Evie."

"No," said the prince confidently. "I couldn't take my eyes off you." This love potion was stronger than they had bargained for - it was apparently retroactively affecting all of Ben's memories. Mal was pretty, but surely Ben hadn't noticed her when Evie, in all her cosmetic glory, had been flirting with him? "It was love at first sight, and I need for you to know that," Ben continued. Jay had never seen such fear in Mal's eyes, and it was hilarious. "I love you, Mal."

* * *

 **Would love to hear what you think!**


	13. If Only

**Sorry everyone! School has started so I'm trying to update as fast as I can but things have gotten delayed. Hope this is worth the wait!**

* * *

 _This was a terrible idea._

"I could get lost in your eyes," Ben told Mal dreamily.

"Uh...that's nice." Whose brilliant idea had it been to make _her_ the target of this love potion? Evie was much more adept at handling captivated suitors. Mal had never had a boy come this close to her in her life. And now Ben was _holding her hand._

"Hey guys." Jay made a smooth entrance into the conversation. "What's going on?" He nodded at Mal and Ben's intertwined fingers.

"I'm in love with Mal!" Ben announced cheerfully.

Jay smirked at Mal's discomfort. She vowed to make him pay for that later. "I can see that. But...aren't you still going out with Audrey?"

The prince looked confused for a second, and then an expression of horror crossed his face as he turned to Mal. "Mal, I...I'm so sorry. I completely forgot. I don't love her. Really."

"Okay..." She really needed to get her vocabulary back. "But we can't...you know... _date_ \- " She cringed. " - while you're still with her."

"Then I'll break up with her," Ben decided rather quickly. "Right this minute. I don't want to be apart from you any longer than I have to."

Jay was clearly fighting back a fit of giggles. _Jay's throat appears to have a glitch,_ she thought, _Make his voice a higher pitch._

"She'll probably - " Jay started and then stopped talking, shocked to hear himself sound like he'd inhaled helium. He cleared his throat and tried again. " - be by her locker." No luck. He rubbed his throat, and then noticed Mal's grim smile. "Hey!"

"That's true," said Ben. "If I don't see her there I'll just text her. By the way, Jay, you should get a cough drop from the nurse." The new couple then ditched him to go find Audrey - well, Mal was somewhat being dragged along by Ben.

 _I could ask him to let go._ The thought was just now occurring to her. But...she kind of didn't want him to. Entirely because she needed to play along for this plan to work, of course. Not because it felt pretty nice. Feeling a rare swell of mercy, Mal reversed the spell on Jay just before they turned the corner and he disappeared from her sight.

She and Ben were both surprised to see the scene that replaced Jay. Audrey was indeed by her locker, and so was Chad Charming. One of her hands was on his shirt, and she was murmuring quietly to him. Though he seemed a little despondent, he was nodding at whatever she was saying. Their noses were nearly touching. If that wasn't enough, Chad reached up to press her hand even more tightly to his chest. Mal wasn't very familiar with relationships, but she knew wrongdoing when she saw it. And of course, growing up with Evie had taught her a thing or two. "She's cheating on you," Mal breathed. And in front of anyone and everyone who walked by. How many people knew she'd been playing Ben for a fool?

Ben squinted at the pair, continuing to walk closer. "What?" Idiot.

Anger surged through Mal's veins, for reasons unknown to her. "You _bitch_!" Most of the people in the vicinity heard, including Audrey and Chad. Mal made to storm up to them and curse them to hell and back, but Ben pulled on her hand and forced her blazing eyes to look at him.

"Mal, it doesn't matter - "

"Ben?" Audrey stepped away from Chad, eyeing the evidence of Ben and Mal's new friendliness. "Why is she screaming at me? Why are you holding hands?"

Before the prince could say anything, Mal spat, "How long have you been cheating on Ben?" A small crowd of eavesdroppers pretending to tie their shoes and get things out of their lockers was forming.

Audrey's nostrils flared in anger, but Chad's sudden interest in the ceiling gave her away. "You're going to accuse me of - "

"Quit lying, you - "

" - all while _you've_ got my boyfriend on lockdown - "

" - taking advantage of - "

" - I'm worth so much more - "

" - don't _deserve_ Ben - "

Ben stepped in between the two of them, finally letting go of Mal in favor of holding his hands up to both of them. "Let's all calm down. We can have a peaceful conversation about this." He looked around at all of the other mysteriously quiet students. "There's nothing to see here. Move along." They did so begrudgingly, muttering among themselves. When they had mostly cleared out and the only people around were those who actually had another reason to be there, Ben inquired, "Audrey, Chad, what's going on?"

The princess huffed, lacing her arm through Chad's. Her companion shrugged and waited for Audrey to explain. "I'm sorry, Bennyb - Ben, but you can't say you didn't see this coming. You kept pushing me away and doing things I told you not to do. And you spend all your time with the daughter of the witch that _cursed my mother._ I love you, Ben, I really do, but I couldn't take it anymore. And Chad understands. He hates these villains as much as I do."

The air around Mal turned cold as ice. "You hate us?" she repeated at Chad. "Evie thinks you're in love with her."

Chad snorted, then covered it up hastily with an obviously fake cough. "Um...I mean...does she?"

"Mal hasn't done anything wrong, Audrey - " Ben started, but Mal wasn't done.

"You know she does. She thinks the two of you are dating. She's been doing your homewo - oh." He'd been using her. Mal's fury knew no bounds. This jerk was now at her - and Evie's - mercy, and she'd used up her daily allotment of mercy on Jay.

Ben's hand landed heavily on her shoulder before Mal could think of a suitable punishment. She was beginning to find his interference extremely irritating. "Mal," he said gently, "Wait." He directed his next comments at Chad and Audrey. "The Isle kids shouldn't be judged by what their parents did. They're only trying to fit in here. I think they're doing a great job, especially since you've been creating obstacles for them." His voice dripped with disappointment. "I expected better behavior from both of you. You're children of heroes, aren't you? Why would you act this way? Don't." He held up his hand when Chad tried to interject. "I know why. It's because our goodness is based on our choices, not our parentage. Your actions prove that if your parents are heroes and you've been hurting other people, there's no reason children of villains can't be good."

Audrey gaped at him. "Are you calling me evil?"

"No, Audrey. I'm telling you that while you've been making bad choices, Mal's been making good ones. And I love her for that."

Everyone who wasn't already aware of this gasped. " _What?"_

Back to the hand-holding. Mal's embarrassment tempered her anger a little. Heat rose to her face and Ben beamed at her. "I'm in love with Mal." Neither Audrey nor Chad could say anything; now both their jaws had dropped. Ben told them, "And if you two are together, I think it's obvious that we need to break up, Audrey."

Her eyes widened. "Bennyboo, wait - let's talk about this - don't be - _her_?"

"Her," Ben confirmed, and Mal couldn't hold back a smirk. "I'm not sorry, Audrey. You're right, we've been going our separate ways for a while now. I really don't even feel mad about this." He gestured to the other couple. Mal wondered if the love potion had something to do with his indifference. "And I could never be sorry for listening to my heart." The smirk was gone, and Mal was trying not to cringe again.

Audrey clamped onto Chad's arm again. "I'm not sorry either. You deserve everything coming to you if you keep ignoring good advice and good people. And yes, I _am_ a good person." She strutted off to class with Chad in tow. Mal mockingly waved to her when she looked back.

* * *

This just _had_ to happen the day before the chemistry midterm.

Evie had been studying so hard, outside of plotting to help take over the kingdom. She'd found such great ways to improve her memory, with flash cards and mind maps and repetition. She was sure her knowledge on this subject rivaled even Doug's, or so the boy himself had said. She felt smart. She _was_ smart. And she was ready to prove it to Mr. Delay, who believed in her for all the wrong reasons.

And then this.

She marched up to Chad at his locker, holding a crumpled sheet of paper in her hand. "Mal told me what you said."

The blonde boy daintily closed the locker before responding to her. "So what?"

"So what? You knew I liked you and you made me do all your work for you! What the hell kind of hero are you?" Evie threw the paper, his unfinished homework, at his feet.

A sneer disfigured his face. "How could you think I'd ever like you back?" His change of demeanor startled her. "You're a power-hungry golddigger and a dumb ditz, just like your mother. You'd probably kill for a throne like she tried to. And I know you've been cheating off Doug for all this chemistry stuff." He kicked at the paper on the ground. "There's no way you're smart enough to do this on your own."

The person in front of her was so different from the Chad she'd met before, it was jarring. How had she been so blind? "You bastard," she snarled. "You don't know anything about me."

"I know you're a villain, through and through. Being pretty doesn't change that."

"And what does that make you? You've been cheating too!"

He shrugged. "You're not going to make me feel bad for using a _villain_."

She was angrier than she'd ever been in her life. This was Auradon; pricks like this weren't supposed to exist. Oh, she couldn't _wait_ for the satisfaction of killing him when the time came. She was calling dibs.

"You're wrong about me," she told him. "Just like I was wrong about you. I'm a harder worker and a smarter person than you will ever be."

"So now you're a liar too? Delay's been going on and on about how you aced the pre-test, and I _know_ there's no way you did that on your own."

Evie reached into her purse and pulled out her magic mirror. "You're right. I didn't do it on my own. I had this to help me." Chad slowly realized what it was, just before Evie threw that on the ground too. She'd been hoping it would shatter, but it didn't. "I don't need it anymore. I'm better than this. Better than you."

She stalked off, still fuming. She'd show him. Evie was going to crush that test.

* * *

Auradon Prep's team was a little worried about the game they had on the first day of midterms week - after all, they were stressed out about exams and were spending more time studying than working out. The team they were up against was no joke.

Arendelle Pre-Collegiate School's tourney team was full of tall, muscular blondes who'd spent the majority of their lives in harsh winters. They were used to roughhousing in ten-inch drifts and moving around large amounts of snow and ice to build snowmen or forts. From the condescending looks on their faces, it was clear they thought Auradon's citizens were coddled and weak. Carlos and Jay, however, were not technically Auradonian.

The two of them were not afraid to play a little dirty, even though the rest of their team avoided contact and followed strategy to the letter. At one point, Carlos was approaching a mountainous boy with his legs spread wide open so his menacing scowl was down at Carlos's level, so the smaller boy actually dove through his legs to avoid other opponents closing in on the flanks. The Auradon crowd went wild on that one. Another time, Jay was close to being tackled by Arendelle's team captain, but he dodged with a spin and placed his foot just so - the captain was eating dirt a split second later.

Despite their efforts, though, Arendelle pulled ahead. Their goalie feared no man (or ball) and put his substantial mass in the way of every attempt to score. Auradon's goalie, in contrast, clearly did not want to die that day and avoided some of the more meteoric shots taken at him. The 'softer' teammates couldn't keep up with the level of aggressiveness required. They saw that game close with a score of 1-6, Auradon Prep's first defeat of the season.

"We _lost_?" Carlos heard Jay complain as they headed into the locker room. "What the hell? What happened to all that 'teamwork leads to victory' junk?"

"We can't always win," their coach explained patiently. "Losing actually makes this game very important."

Carlos didn't see how that worked out. Even he was pissed off. Ben and Chad and the others were so busy being prissy and _nice_ , they hadn't helped much. If the team had been made up of people like Carlos and Jay, this game would've gone differently. They would've won. Losing _sucked_.

Jay snorted. "Important?"

"Yes. Losing is the best way to figure out how to improve. If you win, you get cocky. If you lose, you stay humble and hardworking." The coach gestured for Carlos to come closer, holding open the locker room door for all the other teammates and then closing it while the two Isle kids were still outside. "From this game, what do you two think we need to improve on as a team?"

Forgetting their unofficial mutual silence, they exchanged looks of confusion. "Hit more people?" Jay suggested, somewhat sarcastically.

To Carlos's surprise, the coach seemed to agree. "You both employed tactics that I wouldn't normally find useful, but were definitely needed in this game. We still have a very good chance at finals, so it's likely that we're going up against Arendelle again. I want you to teach the rest of the team how to think creatively when faced with this sort of situation."

"Hold on, coach," said Carlos slowly. "You want us to be...coaches?"

"More or less, for a portion of practice. I'll admit that thinking outside of the box is not our team's forte. That's where you come in. What do you guys say?"

Wow. Someone like him, running practice for princes and nobles? Teaching them how to read peoples' body language, predict their movements, and adapt? It was so surreal. When was the last time he'd actually been needed for something? His quick glance at Jay told him the other Isle boy was having the same thoughts. "Sounds fun," he replied.

Coach nodded. "We'll start after midterms week. Maybe you can think up some drills by then. Right now, though, you should get back - "

"Jay?"

Fairy Godmother was rarely seen around the sporting grounds. She was heavyset and old and not really into tourney. Today, however, she'd suddenly materialized in front of them. She seemed quite upset. _Geez, what did Jay do?_

"Hey, Fairy Godmother," greeted Jay uneasily.

"I'd like to speak with you alone for a moment. Would you two excuse us?"

Carlos and Coach walked into the locker room, where spirits were still down. Harry tried to start a conversation, but Carlos was so focused on what was happening outside the locker room door that the other boy desisted after a few moments. People began to leave - Carlos was the last, having come in late. Eventually even Harry said good-bye and left Carlos alone.

When Jay came into the locker room, Carlos thought it was going to be awkward. At least he was mostly done. All he had to do was pack up his dirty clothes in his gym bag to be washed later. Instead, his clothes fell to the floor as Jay rushed towards him and pulled him into an almost suffocating embrace.

* * *

"I am so sorry," Fairy Godmother told him, "that you have to find out this way. That this happened at all."

Jay was getting nervous. She didn't sound like she knew about the plan to steal the wand - but something was definitely wrong. "That what happened?"

"Jay..." She fidgeted uncomfortably. "The delivery team saw a body in the marketplace today. Jafar's body."

It was like she wasn't even speaking English. Jay didn't understand. Why was she saying 'Jafar's body' instead of 'Jafar'? He drew back from her as if she was insane.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated.

"What do you mean?" he asked, enunciating each word so that there was no chance of misunderstanding.

"Jafar was killed, Jay. They believe it happened last night, because the body had not been removed. He was..." She covered her mouth with her hand, and then removed it. "...he was stabbed."

Slowly, Jay began to comprehend. His stomach sank and his head spun. "My dad is dead?"

"Yes."

When Jay was young and had displayed his penchant for stealing, Jafar had rewarded him with the statement, "You are becoming a man, my son. When we escape from here, you and I will return to Agrabah and acquire all the riches in the land." Once Jay had established a reputation as a flirtatious bad boy, mostly to hide his feelings for Carlos, Jafar grew even happier. "You will succeed where I did not. If Aladdin has a daughter, she will fall at your feet and make you sultan." Every scheme of Jafar's included Jay as a partner, not as a tool or a prop. The two of them were going to run the world together, as father and son. That had been the plan all along.

Fairy Godmother had tried to say something about delaying his midterms and about available counseling, but Jay wasn't listening. "Who did it?" he growled, interrupting her.

"We don't know," she said delicately. "The preliminary report showed that it was likely a dispute related to a sale. His shop was in disarray and many shelves looked empty to the surveyors, possibly indicating that items were stolen afterwards."

His father had been a powerful sorcerer, and he'd died because someone didn't want to pay his price for some useless knick-knack. It happened all the time on the Isle, but Jay had never believed it would happen to Jafar. That _stupid_ man! He could have just let the sale go, and he'd still be alive!

Jay immediately regretted the insult to his father, even though he hadn't said it aloud. Jafar was gone. Jay hadn't even gotten to say goodbye; he'd been here in Auradon for weeks in the hope that he'd see his father soon, and now...

He stumbled into the locker room, numb and despairing. Carlos was there - his only family left. Jay was shaking. He held on to Carlos for dear life, and somewhere between the locker room and the dorms managed to get out, "My dad is dead."

Despite the weeks of cold shoulders and avoidance, Carlos didn't let him go. Not until nearly midnight, when Jay realized Carlos had fallen asleep on his shoulder, his legs curled underneath him on the couch. The younger boy's arms were still tightly locked around Jay's shoulders. It actually made Jay want to cry. His dad was gone and Carlos...Carlos was all that he had. Love between them was forbidden but friendship was impossible to live without. If only Carlos could see that all he had to do was pretend to love a girl, so that no one would question the bond between them and hurt them.

Jay lifted Carlos up and walked him over to his bed, gently laying him down and thinking to himself, _It's a good thing I kept one of those cookies._

* * *

 **Hope to hear your thoughts!**


	14. (A Little Devie-ation)

**Sorry for the long wait! School is to blame.**

 **Just one thing I feel like I should address since it's come up a couple of times now...you guys know I love and appreciate all of my reviewers. I love reading reviews and they give me the motivation to keep going. But because of how I've been raised, I take complaints about JayxCarlos very seriously. Obviously, not every ship is for everyone and that's fine. But there's nothing wrong with being gay...you'll notice in this story that it's the villains who have a problem with it and the heroes who know that love is love. I have friends who have gone through terrible times in their lives simply because of who they are, because someone decided to cherry-pick passages from religious texts to tell them they are unnatural, even though those same texts mark us ALL as 'wrong' in some aspect of our lives. The real problem is not homosexuality, it is prejudice and intolerance. For anyone reading this who is also in that sort of situation, I'm sending you all of my love! You're perfect the way you are!**

* * *

"How is Jay doing?" Ben asked.

Mal didn't really know how news of Jafar's death got around so quickly, especially since she herself had only found out about an hour ago. Then again, Ben was about to be king, so maybe someone had let him know in a more official form than gossip.

"Not that great. We didn't stay long." She and Evie had stopped by to ask why the two boys had skipped dinner. It was all too clear that Carlos was the only person who could provide Jay any comfort; Mal wasn't experienced in that sort of thing, and Evie hadn't gotten much of a response out of him. The girls eventually left them alone and in silence. Mal had found the whole thing extremely awkward, and was almost glad she had an excuse to duck out early.

Almost.

"Look, Ben, I really don't want to do this – "

"You'll be great, don't worry," he assured her. "You'll pick it up fast."

Mal did not share his confidence. While the entire idea of pretending to be Ben's girlfriend was abhorrent, some parts were more tolerable than others. Practice for their first dance at the coronation absolutely fell into the latter category.

Ben had taken her to the music wing to practice. At first, Mal only grumbled incoherently about this. Then she found out there would be other people there, including a string quartet and an instructor/choreographer, and her grumbling turned into vehement refusals.

"They're going to be _watching_?!" she nearly shouted.

"And critiquing." His tone was far too mild for the situation. Mal's dancing experience amounted to approximately zero, and she was not going to let some snobby posture coach tell her how everything she was doing was wrong.

"No."

"Just give it a try. You might even like it." How did he sound so reasonable?

"I will _not_ like it."

"Twenty bucks says you do." He grinned. Now it was a challenge. That bastard.

The hand holding she was starting to get used to, but ballroom dancing was another animal entirely. Ben guided her hand to his shoulder and made it extremely obvious that he was going to place his hand around her waist on the small of her back before he actually did. Still, Mal was more than a little surprised, and stiffened under his touch.

"Well done, Miss Mal. Remember to keep your back that straight for the remainder of the performance," said their instructor Reginald, his words perfectly enunciated. Mal had been hoping he'd be too afraid of her to comment, but apparently he knew he was in charge here. He even had no problem ordering Ben around. "Chin up, Prince Benjamin. It would not do to – "

" - Have a king with a weak chin, I know." Reginald glared, and Mal got the impression Ben did not believe this thing was as fun as he'd tried to convince her. She wondered how much he'd pissed off their instructor when he announced, two weeks before the big day, that he was switching partners.

"Now, Miss Mal, you will follow Prince Benjamin's lead. Where he steps, you will step with the mirroring foot. Do you understand? The beginning sequence is 'one-two-three-one-two-three-one-two-three-TWIRL-two-three." He acted it out with an imaginary partner as Mal watched with disgust. Then it was their turn.

She hadn't realized how close they'd have to be. Ben had tightened his hold on her just before they went prancing about. Mal could feel the warmth coming off of him, could smell a hint of his cologne. When the instructor forced her to look into his eyes as they danced – they were a beautiful shade of blue-green - her heart began beating erratically. Adding to all of this, she was clumsy as hell. She kept putting the wrong foot forward, or forgetting to shift her weight and stumbling. Annoyed at herself, she hissed, "I could not look any more stupid right now."

"That's not true," Ben argued. Mal braced herself for another lengthy tirade about her beauty and grace, but instead he dropped his voice down to a whisper and nodded his head in the direction of one of the violinists. "You could be wearing that hat."

In spite of herself, Mal snickered. Ben's eyes twinkled as he continued quietly, "That's how you can tell when people have no respect for you. He's literally coming out to play for the prince of Auradon, and he didn't stop to think _are polka dots really appropriate for a royal audience?"_

"Or he just has no sense of fashion," Mal countered, still smiling. "After all, you're going to be king in a few days. He'd better respect you."

Ben shrugged, earning a rebuke from Reginald. He spun Mal and then whispered back, "I'll be crowned in a few days. Doesn't really make me a king."

Confused, Mal replied, "Um...I think it does." Their steps took them in a diamond-shaped path on the floor.

"Well, yeah," admitted Ben. "My vote will count for more. But my dad will still be sitting on all the meetings, just a little more quietly. And it's going to take a while before people stop seeing me as a kid."

That surprised Mal. Ben had always seemed so mature to her, especially when it came to governing. He was able to see how his actions affected all the little provinces in the kingdom. His charisma and sincerity and thoughtfulness better fit someone far older than him. It was only in his humor that she glimpsed the teenager he really was.

"You'll be a good king. They'll see," Mal lied softly. He'd be king for all of two minutes, but had he been allowed to rule Auradon for a longer period of time, she didn't doubt he'd be a much better monarch than his father.

Why she felt the need to _tell_ him that was another story, though it might have had to do with the grateful smile he gave her in response.

"Much better, Miss Mal. Do you see how easy the steps become when you let Prince Benjamin lead?" Surprisingly, with her attention elsewhere, her dancing had improved tremendously. Her feet had followed Ben's reflexively when her mind was too preoccupied to try and fix them.

Ben distracted her for the rest of practice, making jokes about anything and everything just to keep her smiling. Reggie, as Ben had taken to calling their instructor under his breath, had plenty of pointers for Ben but was content if Mal looked at all more sentient than a rag doll. Between the whispered levity and the lack of expectations, Mal _was_ kind of enjoying herself by the end. Not that she'd ever admit that to Ben.

Reginald called it a night when Mal was pretty sure she had the first thirty seconds of their routine down. _Maybe this won't be a complete disaster._ She and Ben both left practice wondering who owed whom twenty dollars, and decided not to bring it up.

* * *

Evie thought her anger was evident when she stomped into the chemistry room to take her midterm, but certain half-dwarf half-wits hadn't gotten the memo.

"You ready, Evie?"

Doug actually seemed excited. Or maybe he was just nervous. She didn't know and didn't care, just grunting in response.

"I think you're going to do great. You've really been putting in a lot of work." He'd clearly raised his confidence over the past couple of weeks. Until recently, he wouldn't have dared compliment her for fear of seeming like he was coming onto her when he knew she wasn't interested. _Maybe he's getting over his puppy-love crush._ That would be just what she needed right now. Finding out another boy who supposedly loved her actually didn't.

Then Chad walked into the room and sat in his customary seat across from her, smirking. She wanted to punch his face in, and the only thing stopping her was that the blood wouldn't come out of her clothes. "Whatever," she snapped. Finally noticing that she didn't want to talk, Doug shrank away from her.

Mr. Delay came around to their table, but had left the stack of test papers back on his desk. Students were still filing in, so there was enough noise cover that when he said, "Evie, I'm extremely disappointed in you" no one outside of their group of three heard.

"What? Why?" How could he already be giving this speech, when she hadn't even had a chance to take the test?

Then Mr. Delay took her magic mirror out of his pocket. The color drained from Evie's face.

"Chad has alerted me to your use of this device in our pre-test. He told me you intended to use it today as well. I'm sure you are aware that this is cheating. Cheating is not tolerated in my classroom."

 _Damnit! Damnit damnit damnit damnit!_ How had she been stupid enough to leave that with Chad Charming? Sure, it was nothing more than a mirror for him - it only worked for Evie. Still, she should have known the vindictive brat would do something like this, especially if he'd planned on cheating with it only to find out that particular function was turned off for anyone unrelated to the Evil Queen. Her mouth opened and closed again. She could offer no explanation.

"I will, of course, be suggesting that you be expelled from Auradon Prep. Fairy Godmother is also notoriously strict when it comes to cheaters. They do not belong in a place of learning." The teacher patted a preening Chad on the back, all while shaking his head at what had once been his star student.

Expelled? She'd be sent back to the Isle - more importantly, she'd be going back wandless. That couldn't happen. She had to say something. Do something.

To her endless surprise, Doug stepped in. "Mr. Delay, Evie wasn't going to use that. I know she wasn't. We've been studying every day to prepare for this test."

Chad was glaring daggers at Doug, but the smaller boy didn't back down. Evie hissed, "Doug, I can - " He held up his hand to silence her.

"I don't know if she cheated before, but she definitely doesn't need it now. You can't expel her. She didn't even have it. Chad did." He absolutely knew she'd cheated before. Now she had this goody-two-shoes lying for her.

Mr. Delay raised an eyebrow. "Doug...pardon my saying so, but I hope you realize that your credibility now depends on a villain. Perhaps you should rethink defending her."

"She's not a villain," Doug corrected him. "She's just really good at chemistry."

Evie held her breath as Mr. Delay's eyes flitted between her and Doug. He pursed his lips, thinking for a moment, and then said, "If you score above ninety percent on this exam - on your own - I will reconsider bringing Fairy Godmother into this."

Ninety was too much. She'd never make it. Nevertheless, Doug sat down, satisfied with the terms. He grinned at Evie, who could only stare blankly ahead. She was going to be expelled and Mal would have to carry out the plan without her and her mother was going to be so angry and Maleficent was going to kill her for failing and she'd end up just like that poor man they'd watched Maleficent murder all those days ago -

A packet of paper landed in front of her, and Mr. Delay set a timer for one hour. Evie had one hour to save her own life. Her breathing quickened and her head swirled. She couldn't do this. She couldn't. How would she get out of this?

 _The intermolecular bond between an electronegative atom such as oxygen or fluorine and a hydrogen atom can be classified as which of the following?_

Wait.

She knew that. Her head cleared a little.

 _Which property of water allows it to form a visible meniscus in a thin tube?_

She knew that too.

The questions got harder, but for the most part the answer came to her within seconds. There was a time when half of these words wouldn't have even made sense to her. Now it was like she knew an entirely different language, and translating it into English made the questions so much easier.

 _Which property of oxygen does molecular orbital theory fail to explain?_

Oh no. Evie remembered reading this, but the specific property escaped her. _Which property...which property...?_ She kept her eyes steadfastly focused on her own paper, for fear of being accused of cheating off of Doug's exam the good old way. The words blurred in front of her. _Just keep going. Come back to it._

When all was said and done, there were a few questions Evie was unsure about. She'd written in her best guess, which would have been fine if the stakes hadn't been so high. Her anxiety level was through the roof when she handed her test in; she couldn't even take pleasure in the fact that Chad was still struggling on the first page.

 _What if it I didn't make the cutoff? There's no way I made it. I'm not good enough. I'm not smart enough. I thought I could do this but I can't and now..._

Doug finished soon after her, and caught up with her as she was walking back to the dorm. "How'd it go?"

"Just leave me alone."

He frowned. "Evie, it couldn't have been that bad - "

She rounded on him, fire in her eyes. "Just leave me ALONE! I could've handled that myself, and instead you set up some insane deal that I could never win, and now I'm going to be _expelled_!"

Doug took a step back. "I was just trying to help, and I'm sure you - "

"I don't need your help, _peasant_!"

The minute that sentence left her lips, Evie knew she shouldn't have said it. Doug, normally so warm and sweet, closed off entirely. Without saying a word, he dropped his chin to his chest and walked away from her.

 _Say sorry. Just do it. Just say sorry._ Her mouth was operating on its own, though. "Come back here! I'm not done yelling!"

Doug turned around, but only slightly. He didn't look angry, just sad. "I'm sorry, Evie. I tried. I really did. But I don't think I'll ever get through to you. I guess that...you're beautiful on the outside, but you're ugly on the inside. And the ugly always comes out." Her voice stuck in her throat. _U_ _gly?_ He left her all alone.

 _Ugly._

That was how Evie ended up in front of her bathroom mirror, scrubbing furiously at all the make up on her face. Helping to remove the cosmetics were the tears running down her cheeks, leaving black trails of eyeliner and mascara. _He's right. Chad's right. Mom was right. I'm ugly. I'll always be ugly. Nothing can cover that up._ Her skin was turning red from the repeated attacks with soap and water. Her shoulders shook violently with each sob.

Memories flashed in her mind.

 _"Mommy, it hurts!" Tears had been falling from her eyes then, too. She was nine._

 _"It's your fault for having that disgusting unibrow. Get used to the pain; you're going to have to have your eyebrows threaded for the rest of your life."_

She remembered the first time she'd been rejected by a boy. It hadn't been much longer after the eyebrow incident. George Nesbitt, the son of some henchman or other. He'd been tall for his age, and Evie found him cute. He hadn't been interested in anything except burning ants via glass and sunlight. The Evil Queen had been so disappointed. Never mind that once George hit puberty he couldn't keep his eyes off Evie. She hadn't been beautiful enough when it mattered.

 _"If commoners don't want you, how will a prince ever marry you? Stupid, grubby little girl. You're good for nothing else, do you understand? If you don't seduce a man who will take care of you, you'll have NOTHING in this world. You will never amount to anything on your own. You aren't smart, you aren't talented, you aren't strong. You're nothing if you're not beautiful."_

And the worst memory, the one she'd tried to change retrospectively so many times because it was fine that it happened, it was fine, she was okay with it, she had been all along -

 _"I didn't want to do it, Mom," Evie whispered the morning after. "I don't like how it feels. Everything hurts." She was crying. "I didn't want it. I don't want to do it again."_

 _"Pull yourself together," snapped Grimhelde. "What do you think a prince is going to marry you for, your winning charm? Men like women with experience, and you're going to get it. By the time that prince comes along, you'll make yourself unforgettable - "_

 _"There are no princes here!" Evie screamed._

 _Grimhelde grabbed Evie under the chin, forcing her to look into her mother's eyes. "We won't be here forever. And when we get off this accursed rock, you WILL be ready."_

The last of the makeup was gone, leaving her looking washed out and lifeless. Her lips were too thin, her eyes beady, her skin pallid. Her nose looked huge without contouring, while her cheekbones had all but disappeared. She _was_ ugly. She was a monster. Doug had said so himself.

Doug, who used to adore her.

She'd felt like a real princess in his presence. Every time they'd gotten together he'd been impressed by the smallest things she did. When he thought she wasn't looking he'd sneak admiring glances. But now he'd seen the truth.

Evie stumbled out of the bathroom and didn't even make it to the bed before collapsing on the floor in a heap. Tears continued to flow. She wiped them away; her skin was tender from basically having layers scraped off. The pain felt good, better than the other feelings roiling around inside of her. Evie dragged her manicured nails down her face, wishing she could tear her skin off entirely.

Mal came home and found her there a few seconds or a few hours later, Evie couldn't tell. Her roommate's eyes widened at Evie's state, and then turned a bright, glowing green.

"Who did this to you?" she growled, her voice somehow stronger, as if all her magic was just behind it.

Evie rasped between hiccuping breaths, "I - did - Doug - he - "

Mal did not listen beyond that. With that same voice, she boomed, " _Wheresoever he may be / Bring Doug to stand before me."_

"No! I - don't - want - to - see - him." She couldn't tell if Mal heard; the other girl's irises continued to blaze and she stood stock still. Evie tried to calm herself down, but that only made the crying worse. She looked so pathetic. It was difficult to even let Mal see her like this. _Maybe I_ should _go back to the Isle. Maybe I_ should _die. I'm weak. Useless. Worthless. Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting._

For a while, nothing happened. Mal continued to stand there and Evie continued to be a quivering, sniffling lump. Then there was a knock at their door.

Mal flung the door open. Doug's hand was in mid-knock, and he seemed rather confused. He quickly became worried, though, when he saw his former study buddy. "Evie?"

That was all he could get out before Mal had him by the collar of his shirt. She was strong for her size, and Doug didn't weigh much, so when she pinned him to the wall his feet were an inch off the ground.

" _What did you do to her_?" There was a rage in her tone that Evie hadn't heard in a long time.

It would have been off-putting to the very strongest of people. Doug, who was not among the very strongest of people, made a choking noise and then promptly fainted.

Mal threw him on the floor, which woke him quickly. Evie had the good sense to crawl in front of his splayed body and hold up a hand to her terrifying leader. "S-stop!"

"He hurt you, didn't he?" Mal asked venomously.

Evie shook her head, and Doug copied her, though far more vigorously. Mal glared at him.

"Explain."

Safely shielded by Evie, Doug said, "I don't understand...you were fine when I left you."

The blue-haired girl's resolve failed when she remembered why he'd left her and what an utter failure she was. Her shoulders sagged and her intended words garbled as a fresh set of sobs wracked her.

Both of them were too afraid to touch her. Doug, because he'd always treated her like some sort of ethereal being, and Mal, because she didn't know how to comfort anyone. Mal's eyes faded back to their normal color. She squatted in front of Evie and put a hand on her shoulder, which was the best she could do. It wasn't unwelcome.

"Evie...will you talk to us?" Doug spoke softly, but the tremor of fear was still obvious. "What happened?"

She couldn't stop bawling like some helpless child. After what she had said, after how she had insulted him, he still cared about her. It was more than she deserved - she was nothing, after all.

"She said your name," Mal told him. "I thought you did this."

"No! I would never...I...we got in a fight...a bad one." Terror flitted across his face. "I said some things I shouldn't have. But that can't be..."

"What did you say?" Mal was not asking nicely. Doug ignored her and pulled Evie's hands away from her face. A good amount of mucus came with them, which was absolutely humiliating. She had never let anyone see her like this, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Evie? Evie, I'm so sorry if I upset you. I'm sorry about the test and I'm sorry for - "

She didn't let him finish. If anyone was sorry, it was her. A sorry excuse for the beautiful princess she'd tried so hard to be. Evie threw her arms around his neck and continued sobbing into his shoulder. Startled, it took Doug a few seconds to timidly hug her back.

Neither of them said a word as Mal stood up to leave the room she'd entered only a few minutes ago in order to give them the space they needed to sort this out. Evie calmed much more quickly with Doug rocking her back and forth. After a while, Evie's sniffling abated enough to say, "I'm so scared."

"Of what?"

"If I get sent back to the Isle...Maleficent will kill me."

She felt Doug's heartbeat accelerate before he pulled away from her, holding her at arm's length. " _What?"_

Using the back of her hand, Evie wiped a few tears away. "I'm going to die."

His grip on her tightened. "No, you're not. You're _not._ God, Evie, I'm so sorry. If I had known your life was on the line I'd never have talked to Delay on your behalf. But you did it, Evie. That's where I was before I suddenly really needed to see Mal - " His brow scrunched in confusion. "I was in Mr. Delay's office. I asked him to grade your test. And you passed with a ninety-two."

The shock knocked the breath out of her. Her hand came up to cover her open mouth, and she stared at him in disbelief. Doug nodded, a tentative smile pulling at his lips.

 _I passed._

A strange, strangled, hysterical bubble of a laugh forced its way out of Evie's throat. Then she lunged forward, kissing Doug soundly on the lips.

It was over in a millisecond. Evie pulled away just as quickly, horrified when she saw splotches of her own tears and snot on Doug's face. He just sat there, completely dumbfounded. "I'm so sorry," she lamented, reaching for the tissue box on her nightstand. "I'm so disgusting...and now all of this is on you. On your shirt, too."

He haltingly reached out for the tissues she gave him. "Uh...I mean...I guess it is kinda gross...but it didn't feel that way." He wiped his face and chuckled. When he didn't stop laughing, Evie couldn't help joining in. They must have looked ridiculous - two teens in the middle of a pile of used tissues, giggling like they were watching stand-up comedy. Evie's eyes were still watery, though, so she dabbed at them with another tissue. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah. Much better. Relieved." She felt shy all of a sudden, or maybe just ashamed - either way, she couldn't meet his gaze. "I'm just...sorry. For everything." Apologizing had never been her strong suit. She was a villain after all.

"It's okay," Doug assured her. "I mean, I don't think you have much to apologize for. Spending time with you was always pretty great."

Oh, this poor, confused boy. Evie was now satisfied that her hands were clean so she reached up to touch his cheek. Doug blushed furiously, which was so adorable Evie gave a breathy laugh. "I can't wait to show you what 'pretty great' is really like." She sighed, dropping her hand. "But I'm going to fix my face, first. I hate people seeing me like this, all...hideous."

She stood up, but Doug grabbed her hand and pulled her back down. "Evie, you could never look hideous, even if you tried." He smiled. "Just stay with me."

* * *

Carlos's alarm hadn't gone off. He was still so unused to this 'classes in the morning' thing that oversleeping was a given unless something loud went off at the right time.

As it was, Jay woke him about fifteen minutes before he had to be at school. His roommate seemed considerably less upset than the day before, though he might have just been hiding his pain as strong villains did. Instead of saying anything about last night, Jay told him, "You might want to get ready or you're going to be late. You can have this if you can't get to breakfast on time. I stole it from the cafeteria yesterday." The older boy tossed him a cookie. Carlos stuffed the whole thing in his mouth before mumbling his thanks.

"Want me to wait for you?" Jay asked. Carlos's heart swelled. It was so wonderful to have his friend back, even if the circumstances were less than ideal. Regardless, he waved Jay away. Both of them didn't need to be late.

Jay moved slowly towards the door, and since he hadn't left, Carlos decided to voice a thought that had just occurred to him. "Hey, so, is Mal still pretending to date Ben?"

He could've just imagined it, but Jay seemed to be holding back a smile. "Yeah, she will be until the coronation. Why?"

Carlos shrugged. That answer irked him. The coronation was still several days away. "But she doesn't really like him, does she?"

"I doubt it. It's Mal we're talking about."

"Right." That helped his mood a little, but then..."What does that mean? Do you think she'll ever like anyone?"

"Maybe, if the right guy comes along." There was no question, Jay was definitely smirking. "Why, are you interested?"

Five minutes ago, Carlos would not have cared less. But something - maybe a dream he had - had given him the idea that Mal was actually the perfect girl for him. "I just think she's so..." He struggled to find an endearing personality trait, but came up short. "...Evil."

"And you like that."

"Yeah."

Jay had one foot out the door. "We'll talk about this more later. Don't do anything stupid, okay? She might burn you to a crisp."

Carlos continued thinking about this on the way to class. He did like a lot of things about Mal. She was strong, like Jay, and looked out for him almost as much as Jay did. She was intimidating and powerful and often underestimated - which was funny, because people often made up their minds early about Jay too and didn't realize how much he was really capable of. They weren't close, but he could fix that. Maybe he could get her something - would she prefer flowers or vials of poison?

That stopped him in his tracks. _Oh my god. I'm in love with her._ Nothing had ever been so clear to him. Somewhere along the line, he'd fallen for Mal of all people. _Mal...even her name sounds perfect. Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal..._ Her terrifying green eyes, her cold expression, her biting tongue...he loved it all.

Carlos might as well have not shown up to lecture, for all the good it did him. _Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal..._

* * *

Carlos skidded into their room just after classes. Jay had already begun packing up the things he needed for tourney practice. "Jay, I can't keep this in anymore. I need to tell someone."

"Tell some - "

"I'm in love with Mal!" Carlos announced, flopping onto his bed. Jay did a mental victory dance. Finally, he could have his relationship with Carlos and not be worried about it evolving into anything more in the safe space of Auradon. Plus, Carlos's obsession with Mal didn't even bother him like his friendship with Harry did - this was fake. It was the first good thing that had happened since Jafar died...Jay sobered again.

"Okay. Good for you."

Carlos sat up, urgency in every movement. "What do I do, Jay? She's with Ben right now! I have to break them up."

"No!" That was an unexpected development. "Are you nuts? If you break them up, that'll ruin the whole plan. Mal won't be close enough to the wand during the coronation - do you really want to be the reason she fails? She'd blame you forever. Or at least until Maleficent kills us all."

His roommate deflated, considering the logic. "So I can't be with her?"

"At least not until after the coronation. Just lie low for a little while. I promise, once we get the wand back home, I'll do everything I can to get you two together." Mal could deal with that problem when it came.

That, at least, put a smile on Carlos's face. Jay had nearly forgotten what that looked like - he'd missed that smile. "You're the best, Jay. I can't wait."


	15. A Million Thoughts

**I'd like to just offer an umbrella apology in case any future chapters also take an ungodly amount of time to come up.**

* * *

Mal hadn't thought Lonnie could get more excited than she normally was. One hundred percent wrong. The first time Lonnie saw Ben and Mal together, she'd literally _squealed_ with happiness and jumped up and down. "I knew it! Didn't I call this, Mal?"

"Lonnie..." Mal growled in warning, though she knew she was not quite as intimidating with her ears turning bright red.

"You guys are so _cute_ together!" the other girl continued gushing, unaware of how dangerous Mal was when she was embarrassed.

Ben beamed, slipping his hand into Mal's. "Thanks. I think we're pretty cute together too." He winked at his girlfriend, who was nearly gagging. She knew he was saying it to tease her, but it was still so _mushy_.

"So how'd it happen? Who told who first? Where did you go on your first date?" Lonnie gasped. "When did you break up with Audrey?"

Seeing Ben's brow furrow in confusion, Mal realized he was struggling to remember why he was in love with her in the first place and he could _not_ be allowed to think too deeply about that. Before she could derail his train of thought, though, he turned to her and said, "We haven't been on a first date yet."

She relaxed a little. "That's okay. We don't have to go on any - "

"No, we should. You're right, Lonnie. Help me plan one?"

If it was possible to die of joy, Mal was sure Lonnie would have done so. Despite Mal's protests over how ridiculous and unnecessary a date was, Ben and Lonnie agreed to meet up later and put together a spectacular outing. Mal briefly suggested that Lonnie stand in on the date for her, but for some reason that was met with extreme disapproval.

In the meantime, Ben insisted they eat lunch outside as a couple. The sun was shining and the birds were singing and Mal was concerned about sunburn and bird poop, but the prince led her over to a shaded bench regardless. They shared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ignored the astounded stares of passers-by, and enjoyed each others' company.

Not enjoyed. Tolerated. Mal was _tolerating_ his company.

"What's your favorite class so far?" He took another bite of his sandwich while waiting for her answer.

"Probably history. It's at least sort of interesting."

"You know what would be interesting, if you had signed up for it..."

Mal punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Don't start with that again! I don't need a class to ruin a hobby."

He considered her statement. "I never really thought about it that way. I guess it wouldn't be as much fun if you were getting graded on it, huh?" Mal truly could not care less about being graded on her artwork. She knew, however, that if she started an art class it would be just another thing she liked about Auradon and would make it that much harder to raze the place.

"Well, yeah," she said instead. "Would you want to get graded on tourney?"

Ben made a face. "Jay would be getting a higher grade than me. I don't think I could handle that." Mal laughed, but only until she saw that his eyes had gone affectionately half-lidded. "I love making you laugh. You could light up the world with that smile."

 _I think it's more likely I'd darken the world with my rage._ Funnily enough, she wasn't feeling much rage just then. She supposed she was actually starting to get used to the compliments. Nevertheless, she didn't know how to respond, and stalled by focusing on finishing her sandwich.

"Can I ask you something?"

 _Please don't let this be a proposal. Please don't let this be a proposal. Please don't..._ "What?"

"Do you think people fall in love more than once?"

His question took her aback. Her mind raced to find a suitable answer. Was he asking because of Audrey? "I don't know. Maybe."

"I used to think they could." He leaned back on the bench, spreading his arms along the top so one of them was behind Mal, and stared off in the distance at something Mal couldn't see.

"Used to?" she prompted when he remained silent.

"Yeah." He finally looked at her, taking a lock of her hair in his hand to play with. The way his eyes were searching her face, she was sure he could see right through her. Mal hadn't known, until that moment, that it was possible to feel vulnerable and safe at the same time. "But then I met you."

"Me?" Her voice had gone childishly high pitched. She cleared her throat and tried again. "What do you mean?"

He smiled. "I've never felt this way about anyone else, and I don't think I ever will." The unintentional stab at Audrey was pretty satisfying. "So now I'm a firm believer that we only get one true love. And I'm glad I found mine."

A peculiar warmth bubbled in her chest, smothered quickly by the reminder that this was the love potion talking. What was she supposed to say? _No, you haven't found her. You probably never will._ He didn't expect a response from her though, instead leaning back on the bench again. The light breeze ruffled his hair and he closed his eyes, content with the world. Ben couldn't see her watching him, memorizing the lines of his profile. Mal was nearly overcome with the need to tell him everything. He was just too _good,_ too caring and trusting and kind, and it would be the death of him. If only he would suspect her! He could save himself, maybe even his kingdom.

But he couldn't. She had spelled him to love her unconditionally and there was no way out.

 _You can't think these things!_ Mal told herself harshly. _Auradon isn't getting out of this one. King Adam locked away your mother. You. Everyone you've ever known. He deserves what's coming to him._

Yet, a small voice persisted, reminding her that Ben deserved none of it.

Restless from the battle in her head, Mal got up, and Ben followed suit. They didn't really have anywhere to go; classes didn't start for another thirty minutes. "Do you want to stop by the cafeteria and see your friends?" Ben asked.

"No, I just...can I ask _you_ something?" He nodded, curious. "You've always been so sure about us, that we aren't like our parents. But the thing is, you guys are so much like your parents - sure, Audrey and Chad aren't winning any 'goodness' awards, but they're not evil. What makes you think us Isle kids are any different?" It was a hint. It was the best she could do. Every single brain cell was telling her that this was not a good idea, but something else was in charge of her mouth.

Ben's countenance darkened. "Please don't tell me you think I'm like my parents. Like my father."

"No!" She almost reached out for him, but stopped herself. "That's not what I meant. You're all good. You're not villains. That's all I was trying to say."

Ben sighed. "I don't think it's that simple. Good people make bad choices, and vice-versa. And when I see you...you're always making good choices. You might go about them in...creative ways..." He smirked. "But you make them without even trying. Sometimes I wonder if you know how hard it is for the rest of us to choose good."

Mal's jaw dropped. This love potion clearly had him living in some kind of alternate reality. "You've officially lost your mind."

"I'm serious," Ben said, though he was chuckling. "You put all of this effort into being terrifying and unapproachable and you still can't completely hide it. Sticking up for Lonnie? Watching out for the other Isle kids? Refusing to go to dinner with me because you thought I was trying to cheat on Audrey?" He smirked. "You've got good written all over you." Mal wasn't sure if she should be offended or if she should find him a healthcare professional. Her thoughts must have shown on her face, because Ben grinned and stepped a little closer. "You're perfect, Mal," he told her softly. "Really." He moved in until her face was nearly buried in his shoulder, and his arms began to wrap around her. Mal pulled away reflexively. She realized that was probably the wrong thing for a girlfriend to do when Ben's eyes widened and he started stuttering out an apology.

"No, hold on, it's fine. I've...we don't really hug on the Isle. You just surprised me," she explained, hoping her face didn't look as red as it felt.

Instead of relaxing, his expression froze. "But...you've been hugged before, right?"

"No."

" _No_?"

She didn't understand his reaction. "Ben, I'm the daughter of - "

"I know who you are!" he interrupted her, agitated. "But how does that mean no one gets close to you, ever? Have you honestly just never had anyone show you they care about you?"

"I don't need - "

"Stop it, Mal. You _do_ need it. Everyone does. You're not a machine. You're just a girl."

"I am not _just a girl._ " Her nostrils flared, as if she was going to try to breathe fire as a human. "People are _right_ to be scared of me. Maybe you're just incredibly oblivious."

"What have you ever done?" the prince challenged her.

"I don't think you want to know." She tried to cross her arms, but Ben grabbed one of her hands and led her back to the bench.

"I do want to know. I want to know everything." He braced himself. Perhaps he'd had them sit down so he wouldn't have fair to fall if he fainted. "Have you...ever...killed anyone?" Spelled or not, he looked like he knew the answer but wished he didn't.

Mal was hating that she couldn't enjoy this. She suddenly didn't want to tell him, didn't want to see fear in his eyes when he realized that she really was the monster everyone else saw. "Yes."

Ben swallowed. "When?"

She thought for a while. "There were a lot of 'when's. But the first was when I was eight."

" _Eight_?" He was nearly shouting. Mal silenced him with a look.

"There are a lot of criminals on the island, Ben. Some of them got there because they prefer children." She could see his jaw clench. "One of them came after Evie. She was nine. I slit his throat." She kept her expression emotionless, but something inside her roiled with uncertainty at his reaction.

It was unexpected, to say the least. A vein was nearly popping out of Ben's head. His entire body tensed so much he was twitching. His fists were clenched; he stood up and with a roar of anger, drove one of them into the nearest tree.

"Ben!" What was he thinking? When he pulled his hand back, his knuckles and the backs of his fingers had multiple splinters lodged in them. "Are you insane?" Mal supported his hand with hers and looked over his injuries. "These are going to take forever to remove."

"I'm not done." His voice was harsher than she was used to.

"What do you mean, you're not done?"

"I need to hit something else." He yanked his hand out of hers, but waited for her permission. "You were left there with child abusers. You were locked in there. With...with pedophiles. _He_ did this." There were actually tears in his eyes.

Mal stepped aside and he stormed off. God forbid King Adam decided to make an impromptu visit.

The extent of Ben's fury shocked her. Had he really not known all the criminals that were on the Isle? Had he just not thought about it? She supposed he had that privilege, living safely on the mainland. She didn't really find it to be such a huge deal, though, it was just a fact of life. Her life.

Contemplating the turn of events, Mal sat back down. Remembering that day always made her queasy - not the killing part, that had been natural. The look in that man's eyes, though, always sent chills down her spine. She never regretted snuffing out the light in those eyes. The Isle was marginally easier to live on without him.

How easy was it going to be to go back to it all? Mal was well aware that all four of them had softened after just few weeks of living in Auradon. Would the other villains notice? Would it matter, if they brought back the wand that freed them? How long would it take for her heart to harden again? How long would it take to undo all the damage that living here had done to the walls she kept around herself? If people like Ben kept tearing them down piece by piece, she wouldn't survive a day back with her mother and the other criminals.

He had her smiling and laughing in public. He'd gotten her to speak to him on a regular basis. She was even pretending to be his girlfriend, hand-holding and dancing and all, and he'd made it so easy to just melt into the role like it was made for her.

He even had her worrying about him. Where had he gone? Mal covered an eye with her hand and recited,

 _Give this eye a new fixation  
_ _Follow Ben to his destination_

A moving image appeared just in front of Mal's right eye, like someone was holding a video camera up to her cornea. The image sharpened to show Ben marching into Auradon Prep's gym. He hadn't even changed, he just threw off his jacket in front of a punching bag and then started unbuttoning his shirt. Mal watched with interest, along with every other girl (and some of the guys) in the gym, as he revealed a surprisingly toned chest and muscular arms. She very quickly understood how he'd gotten that way - for the next fifteen minutes Ben proceeded to beat the crap out of the punching bag in front of him. Now _everyone_ in the gym was staring, most of them kind of worried. Though he eventually starting sweating, Ben showed no sign of tiring, nor did he acknowledge the pain he must have been feeling from the splinters. His brow was still furrowed in anger. His muscles rippled with every hit. Mal's mouth was getting a little dry. _There is absolutely no need to keep watching this._

After a little while, a girl hesitantly came up to him. Mal couldn't hear what they were saying, but she seemed be asking if he was alright. Ben stopped, stabilized the punching bag, and gave her a reassuring smile. She eventually went back to her workout. Ben picked up his clothes and left.

Mal waved the spell away, returning to binocular vision. Her cheeks felt warm, and grew warmer every time she failed to banish the image of a shirtless Ben from her mind. _This is ridiculous,_ she berated herself. _I won't let him be right. I'm not 'just a girl' - some fawning, obsessed teenager. I'm Mal, daughter of Maleficent, and I am rotten to the core._

But when she saw Ben coming out of the building and towards her, she was drawn to him by some unseen force, maybe whatever was keeping their eyes locked on each other. She actually ached _for_ him, seeing the physical pain and the mental anguish that he suffered. Without speaking, they both knew what the other was thinking. How guilty and ashamed he felt, how she knew it wasn't his fault, how much he'd grown to hate his father. Instead, all he said was, "I can't stand by and do nothing anymore." His puppy-dog pout was back. "I don't know what to do."

Mal shrugged. Her constant self-reminders to remain evil were momentarily drowned out by the need to see him smile. "We can...try that hugging thing again, if you want," she said, as dismissively as she could.

It worked. "I'd like that." He snaked his arms around her waist, gently, and pulled her close. She rested her hands and her cheek on his chest, feeling his elevated heartbeat against her skin. He smelled like summer; his cologne was intoxicating. Mal couldn't remember ever feeling so content. She closed her eyes and felt him stroke her hair, felt the rise and fall of his breathing. His warmth radiated into her very bones, thawing whatever remained of the ice around her heart.

However long they stayed that way, it wasn't long enough. Ben's lips pressed to her forehead. "I wish I could have protected you." Mal reluctantly pulled herself away from him and held his gaze.

"You can't change the past, Ben."

"I know. But nothing's going to stand in my way of changing the future."

 _I am,_ Mal thought as he held her tightly again. _I'm the biggest obstacle for him and the future of his dreams._

 _Why am I doing this again?_

* * *

Evie was surprised at how much time she now saved by not meticulously covering every pore of her face in the morning. She still wore some make-up, but so much less of it that Jay actually said he didn't recognize her. That had hurt a little bit, until he hurriedly followed it up with, "In a good way."

Whether he was lying or not didn't matter to her as much as Doug's opinion now did. Her boyfriend was never shy with compliments, though he was shy with just about everything else. Still, he learned as fast as he would anything else - within a day he'd figured out just how she liked to be kissed, how to be subtly affectionate in public, and how to get his voice to work even when she was flirting with him.

She'd told Jane about him when the younger girl came to visit. Jane made a face. "Isn't he a huge nerd?"

Evie stopped brushing blush onto Jane's cheeks. "So?"

"So, can't you do better? I mean, when you're this pretty - " Jane actually had the nerve to gesture at herself. "You can have any guy you want. Why'd you leave Chad Charming for some...band geek?"

And that was when Evie realized she'd created a monster.

Jane's nervousness had faded quickly over the course of their lessons, and Evie had attributed it to confidence. They'd spent these sessions talking about boys and cheekbones and eyelashes - every time, Jane seemed to have a new story of some random guy-on-the-street or even students of Auradon Prep checking her out. Looking back, she probably should have seen the signs earlier. Jane had turned into a mini-version of pre-Doug Evie, and that disgusted the blue-haired girl more than any pimple.

"How dare you," Evie said in a dangerously low voice, returning the brush to her dresser.

Alarmed, Jane squeaked, "Wait, you didn't finish!"

"I know." One of Jane's cheeks was slightly redder than the other, and her eyeliner needed some cleaning up. Her brows hadn't been done and there was only a layer of primer on her eyelids. "And I'm not going to."

"Why not?" Jane demanded, standing up. "Gosh, Evie, I'm sorry I insulted your four-eyed boyfriend, but you know I'm not wrong. Chad was so much hotter."

Had Evie, too, been this blind? This unable to see past the surface? No wonder others had thought she was stupid. Conversely, it was amazing that Doug had been able to get through to her at all.

" _Chad,_ " Evie spat, "tried to get me expelled. He'd been using me to get all his work done. He never gave a shit about me. Doug literally saved my life and he sees me in a way no one else does. The way they look on the outside has nothing to do with who they are on the inside."

Jane scoffed. "You sound like my mother."

"Your mother was right." So was everyone else who'd ever said something like that to Evie. She'd never listened, and Jane wasn't going to either. Evie got up and opened her dorm room door, gesturing for Jane to leave. "I should never have helped you. I guess now you'll have to learn the hard way, like I did. People might look at you and keep you around for fun, but no one's really going to want you if you're only beautiful superficially."

"Superficially?" Jane mocked, gathering up her things. "Looks like he's turned you into a nerd too."

"Yes, he has," Evie shot back. "And now I'm more than just a pretty face."

"You look washed out!" seethed Jane before the door shut on her. Evie didn't care. The idiocy of that comment, something she likely had said to other girls numerous times, made Evie shake her head. If she _ever_ went back to sounding like that, she would give Doug permission to lock her in the library.

* * *

Carlos hadn't been able to get his mind off Mal all week. He knew Jay was right, that if he made his move before the coronation it would ruin their entire plan and Mal would hate him right up until Maleficent killed them both, but it was just so hard to see her with Ben. He couldn't help but stare at her all through Remedial Goodness, quickly looking away every time she caught his eye.

It helped to think about how happy they'd be together after they destroyed the world. With a comforting image of himself hand-in-hand with his love, Carlos whistled all the way to Doug and Harry's room for some post-practice gaming.

Doug was gone, likely somewhere with his new girlfriend. "How's it going?" asked Harry.

"It's okay. What've we got today?"

"I rented _Outlanders 2_ from the rec center. Needs this special attachment for the controller." Harry had already fitted the said attachments, so he and Carlos jumped right into the game.

After several rounds of virtually bashing each others' heads in, the two boys paused for food. Doug had come in some time before and started eating chips, which had distracted them from the game. They munched through half the bag while Doug gushed over Evie, exchanging glances and rolling their eyes.

"I'm glad you're happy," Harry said finally. "But I'm pretty sure you're exaggerating how great she is."

"He's definitely exaggerating," added Carlos. "Evie's got nothing on Mal."

The cousins wore identical expressions of surprise. "What?"

"Mal," Carlos repeated. "She's perfect. For me, anyway. Maybe Evie's perfect just for you." He shrugged and smiled, only briefly registering that they looked even more confused.

"Um...didn't realize you were crushing on Mal, dude," said Harry slowly.

Carlos responded dreamily, "Yeah. She's great, isn't she? I've always thought of her as like...kind of like the girl version of Jay, but different." He sighed. "You have no idea how much it sucks to have to wait until she breaks up with Ben."

The minute the words were out of his mouth, he realized his mistake. Doug seemed quite alarmed. "She's breaking up with Ben?"

"Well, she will," corrected Carlos hastily. "I mean, there's no way they last. Right?"

"Maybe." Harry was thoroughly weirded out. "Good luck, man."

* * *

Jay wished he'd brought something from the Isle of the Lost to remind him of his father. They didn't have any pictures together, for lack of a camera, and Jafar had always traded up anything remotely valuable. Jay learned long ago not to get too attached to any material objects.

But now all he wanted was something tangible, something that he could touch and hold and remember with, because he was already starting to forget important things. He couldn't recall exactly what his father had told him that one time over dinner five years ago, only the feeling of pride when he'd heard it. His memory of many of Jafar's stories from Agrabah had become fragmented. Worse, he'd woken up that morning convinced he'd forgotten his father's face.

Since it was nearly time to go to bed again, Jay laid down and screwed his eyes shut, focusing all his energy on remembering every detail of Jafar's appearance and mannerisms. He refused to forget. He'd do this every night from now on.

The creaking of the door announced Carlos's entry, and a jingling sound told Jay that Dude was with him. He opened his eyes to greet his roommate but was startled by the dog jumping onto his bed and licking his face.

"Easy, Dude," Carlos chortled, rushing over to pick up the mutt. "Let Jay sleep."

"It's alright, I wasn't sleeping." Jay wiped some of the slobber off his cheek. "He's feeling friendly."

"I don't know about friendly...I get the feeling that Dude somehow knows when people need him. He's a smart dog." Carlos handed the dog back to Jay. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Jay rubbed Dude's belly, and the dog's tongue lolled out.

Carlos hesitantly sat on the edge of Jay's bed. "Thinking about your dad?"

Letting Dude lick his face for longer this time, Jay nodded.

They sat in silence for a while. The only noise was Dude's various movements. Then Carlos said, "I'm glad you had a dad like him. Otherwise...you wouldn't be you."

Long after Carlos had gone to sleep, Jay stayed awake, thinking. Carlos was right. He couldn't possibly forget everything about Jafar - the man had made Jay the way he was.

He did have something to remember his father by. Himself.


	16. Do I Let My Heart Keep Listening?

**You thought I was gone, didn't you? Nope, just very busy, but I'm done being busy now! To my lovely guest reviewer - first of all, thank you for reviewing! Bal is def my favorite couple, and I think it shows in this story. What's yours?**

* * *

Their date on Saturday was preceded by a quick trip to the Children's Village to see how things were going. Merryweather greeted them, as usual, a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. She showed them to Dr. Rickett's new office, where the child psychologist was poring over newly made files on the Isle children.

"Oh, hello. How are..." As Ben's old doctor, his gaze was naturally drawn to the bandage around Ben's right hand. He raised an eyebrow and Ben looked pointedly away. "...you?"

"Fine," Mal answered for the both of them. Ben's good hand was, as usual, entwined with her own. "How are things here?"

She was lucky she was a fairly good liar. The orphanage had put so much work into trying to welcome the influx of children - children who would never get here. Guilt was becoming more and more of a problem.

"Busy," he replied. Merryweather cleared her throat. "Ah. Well. My colleague here has something to show you, Mal."

"Me?" She noticed Ben didn't seem surprised. "What?"

"Let's walk and talk." Dr. Rickett picked up a few papers and held open his office door for the three of them. They ventured down a long corridor. "Do you find that your art calms you, Mal?"

Confused, she said, "I never really thought about it."

The doctor nodded. "Well, in my field, art therapy is considered an effective method of expressing emotion in a healthy way. It's highly recommended, especially for children." They turned a corner, now facing the familiar hallway of classrooms. Dr. Rickett opened one of the doors on the right side. "Ben, I'm sure you'd like to do the honors."

The prince smiled at Mal and ushered her into the room. It was quite a sight - charts of color wheels and prints of famous paintings hung on the walls. Tiny chairs were tucked under plastic tables. At the front was a row of easels. An open cabinet revealed a variety of cheap watercolor sets, crayons, markers, and pencils.

"We were hoping you'd want to teach a class here, Mal," Ben told her. "Saturday mornings, for all the Isle kids." He said more, about how it would help to have a familiar face around, someone who'd also been through the same challenges they had, but Mal hardly heard. She covered her open mouth with a hand, and her eyes went wide. This was for _her_?

Merryweather giggled. "Oh, look at her! She's speechless. You were right, Prince Ben."

"You're quite the romantic, Ms. Merryweather," remarked Dr. Rickett dryly. "Surprises aside, Mal, would this be something in which you would be interested?"

Mal turned to Ben behind her and unconsciously laid a hand on his chest. "Yes," she murmured, believing it for a second before her ever active mind added _not that I'll ever get the chance._

Nevertheless, Ben grinned. "Glad to hear it. You'll start in two weeks, since next Saturday we'll be moving everyone in and that'll be a little chaotic." The four of them discussed a few more logistics, but Mal was stuck on _next Saturday._ Next Saturday there would be nothing left of Auradon. How had this day come so soon?

On the ride back to Auradon Prep, Ben nudged her in the limo. "You're very quiet. Are you sure this is something you want?"

Mal had to force herself to look him in the eye. "It is. I think it's...incredible." She was so unfamiliar with the rules here. How would a girlfriend act in this situation? Should she hug him? That's what she wanted to do. Was that too much?

 _Of course it's too much. He's not really your boyfriend._

Ben's thumb stroked the back of her hand, and he smiled serenely. "Good." After a pause, he added, "How do you feel about motorcycles?"

The reason he asked, to Mal's infinite surprise, was that he regularly operated one when he was not being chauffeured around. After the multiple dance practices and formal meetings she'd seen him attend, this seemed a little rebellious. Then again, he did play tourney.

After a quick lunch, the two of them headed out front to Auradon Prep's covered parking lot. Ben's bike was clearly used often and loved dearly; the red paint job was dull but shiny from many cleanings, which Ben explained he did himself. There were two helmets hanging off the back; with an odd stab of jealousy, Mal wondered how often Ben had taken Audrey out on this motorcycle.

He swung his leg over and gestured to her to come sit behind him. She did, with nowhere near as much grace. She wrapped her arms around his waist, trying her best not to actually touch him. That idea flew right out the window when Ben revved up the bike. It jerked into motion, accelerating faster than the limo she was used to. Mal gasped and unconsciously held onto him for dear life, pressing her cheek to his broad back. She didn't so much hear Ben laugh as feel the vibrations of his chest. "Having fun?" he shouted back at her.

Her pounding heartbeat probably gave her away. Mal forced herself to relax. It actually _was_ fun, once she got over the fear of falling off. She snuggled closer to him - entirely for her own protection - and chose not to answer over the roar of the motorcycle.

They didn't travel too far from Auradon Prep, mostly along a trail into the woods behind the school. The forest extended farther than Mal had thought. Ben stopped after about ten minutes, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. After putting the kickstand down, he gently untangled himself from Mal and helped her off.

"Nice hair," he joked when she took off her helmet, laying his suit jacket on the seat of his motorcycle.

Mal glared at him while she smoothed down the chaos on her head. "Of course you don't have this problem. Is it some kind of royal decree that nothing's allowed to mess up your hair?"

"Actually, I was born with perfect hair," he replied, sighing dramatically. "It's a curse, really."

Mal reached and messed it up, earning a "Hey!" from the prince. "Easiest curse breaking I've ever done. You're welcome." She recoiled with a playful laugh as he made a grab for her to return the favor.

"Broken a lot of curses, have you?" asked Ben sarcastically, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. Somehow, with a shake of his head, his golden-brown locks were back were they were supposed to be. "Because I'm pretty sure you didn't do such a good job with this one."

Mal huffed, started to say something, then stopped. "A leaf just landed on your head."

"Where?" Ben's fingers combed through his hair, trying to find the inanimate invader. Mal came closer, pretended she actually intended to pluck something from the top of his head, and then did an even more disastrous job of mussing his hair up.

She laughed and shrieked when Ben really did grab her this time during her attempt to flee, catching her around the waist and nearly folding her over. "For that," he teased, pulling her close to him, "I'm not going to tell you if you're about to walk into a tree."

"What are you talking about?" She was still a little breathless, and twisting around so she could see his face wasn't helping.

"We still have a little ways to go, and it's a surprise, so..." He covered her eyes with his hands. "Now walk," he whispered in her ear, sending a little shiver down her spine.

"You'd better not push me into a tree on purpose," Mal grumbled, stepping gingerly through the forest. "Although I guess it wouldn't be uncalled for." Ben laughed.

"Maybe on the way back." He tilted her head in the direction he wanted her to go, and was too nice not to point out any obstacles in her path. Then finally, they stopped. He uncovered her eyes.

Ben had brought her to a secluded, wooded paradise. Three Ionic columns were all that remained of an elegant hypostyle gazebo; it overlooked a tranquil lake. A large, ornate silver tray holding a variety of fruits and covered with a glass cloche was placed in the center. Emerald green grass and tall, leafy trees surrounded the picturesque location. The afternoon sun streamed through the branches, dappling the ground with golden light.

"Oh..." Mal's mouth hung open. She'd never associated the word 'beautiful' with a place before, but there was no other word for the scene in front of her. Ben seemed pleased with her reaction, and took her hand to lead her to the pavilion ruins.

The colorful fruit attracted Mal's eye. She sat down and lifted the lid; the scent of sweet pineapple, mango, and more immediately filled the air. "I've never seen these in real life," Mal told Ben.

"Try something." He crossed his legs under him and sat down as well, taking the cloche from her so she had both hands free. Mal perused the options in front of her and finally picked a bright red strawberry. Holding it by the leaves, she took a bite. Her eyes went wide.

"This is... _amazing_." She couldn't help but stare in wonder at so perfect a fruit. Ben smiled and picked out the remaining strawberries for her. The first was quickly devoured and she started on a second, liquid running onto her palms. "They're so sweet."

"Just like you," responded Ben in a cheery voice. Mal was too busy munching on her new favorite food to gag. "You've really never had a strawberry before?"

"Mm...no." She felt juice dripping down her chin and tried to catch it with her hands. The prince chuckled, handing her a napkin.

"Very lady-like."

Mal grimaced. "Oops." She reluctantly put down her third berry in favor of cleaning herself up, but Ben stopped her.

"Don't. It's okay. I just forget there aren't always people around judging everybody else." He picked up a pineapple and bit into it, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I am _so_ glad I can do this around you."

She handed him another, delighted. "I didn't realize I was being such a bad influence."

"You really are."

Mal didn't notice the sun getting lower and lower in the sky while they continued to chat and banter. She'd never been on a date before; she even told him she'd been worried about what she was supposed to do. But it was so easy - just the two of them in this awe-inspiring place, like the world outside didn't exist. Like all the problems everyone else caused had just floated away, and nothing mattered besides Ben's laugh and the way he made her feel.

And then, of course, it was ruined.

"Last surprise of the day: I wrote you a song."

Mal froze. "What?"

"I'm assuming you've never been serenaded, right? I wanted to fix that."

 _No way. Absolutely no way._ Things like this reminded Mal that he was under a love spell. She was almost completely sure Ben would never pull something like this if he was one hundred percent sane; he'd know how uncomfortable it would make her. She couldn't imagine any way that he could 'serenade' her and not look like a doofus. Could he even sing well? And she'd feel equally as stupid, sitting there twiddling her thumbs and listening to him literally sing her praises in some mushy ballad.

Ben shuffled around in his trouser pockets, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. Mal's mind raced. How could she stop him? What if she just told him the idea of being sung to was not something she found appealing? Would the magic he was under let him stop? She hated that she couldn't bring herself to paralyze him or take his voice away. There was some pathetic _worry_ that she might hurt him. Mal looked around for something else she didn't mind hurting, and her gaze fell on a large bumblebee buzzing through the bushes nearby.

 _Follow Ben wherever he goes  
Listen well and stay close_

It wasn't exactly a distraction spell, but it needed to work, as Ben was now clearing his throat in preparation. The bee made straight for his head, buzzing maniacally. Ben swatted at it with his paper, but it dodged and came at him from a different angle.

He took a step back. "This thing is persisten - " He'd taken another step back without checking if there was solid ground. As it was, the stone floor gave way to the still waters of the lake, which Ben fell into with a huge splash. The bee swooped in after him and promptly died.

Mal jumped up and slapped her hands over her mouth. "Ben!" she yelled through her fingers.

There was no response. A little foam had been generated from the waves, but it was quickly reclaimed.

A beat passed. The roiling waters were slowly calming themselves. Ben didn't come back up. There was no sign of him; she couldn't see through the first few feet of water. Mal cursed the fading light and dropped to her knees so she could look closer. "Ben? Ben!"

Time slowed, and a horrible truth dawned on her.

 _Oh my god. He can't swim._ Neither could she, but she wouldn't have to. "Harken, Ben, to my command / Fly, fly into my hand!" Mal wasn't convinced he wouldn't come barreling out of the water and knock her over, but it was the best option she had. Her hand extended, she waited.

Nothing happened.

She tried again with the same result. And again.

The perturbed water was only moving in ripples now. How long had he been down there? An hour? No, it only felt like an hour, it couldn't have been more than fifteen seconds. But still, he'd been sinking this whole time.

Mal tried the spell again, to no avail. _Why isn't this working?!_ "Ben!" Mal cried desperately. No answer. She was panicking now and as she was completely out of ideas, she jumped in after him.

The water was colder than she expected, and the very abrupt change in temperature knocked some of the precious air out of Mal's lungs. She opened her eyes. The lake was deep; she could see Ben sinking slowly below her and could barely make out the bottom. It terrified her, but she flailed towards him anyway.

As she got closer, she could see that his eyes were staring blankly ahead, his arms and legs motionless, his mouth slightly agape. The fact that he wasn't breathing was probably a good thing. Still, he looked a little dead, especially since the water made his skin seem pale, which wasn't helping Mal's state of mind. His hair floated in every direction as he sank, as if the individual strands were trying to save themselves and find a way to the surface.

Mal reached him just as they touched the bottom. She grabbed his hand and tried to paddle upwards with her free limb, but it turned out going up was a lot harder than going down. Even if she jumped, she only made it a little way before sinking back to the floor of the lake.

Still, she made effort after futile effort, the light from the surface teasing her. If only she could morph dragon – one beat of those powerful wings and they'd be clear of the water. But of course, she couldn't.

Her lungs burned.

Ben remained motionless and unresponsive. She'd never be able to get herself to the surface, much less both of them. And that's when it hit her that they were going to die there, thirty feet underwater.

All of a sudden, Ben came back to life. He attempted to take a deep breath and inhaled only lakewater. "No!" Mal tried to gurgle at him. His eyes went wide and he thrashed when he realized he was drowning. Mal grabbed his arm again and tried to throw him towards the surface – after all, he weighed significantly less in the water - but her air was running out and she didn't have enough to spare to move him more than an inch. Ben's hand clamped around her arm too, and then he kicked his legs. He formed a bowl shape with the fingers of his other hand, which made it much easier for him to wade through the water. They lifted off the lake floor and shockingly moved in the right direction - he was actually swimming upwards. Mal helped as much as she could so she wasn't a dead weight – trying to move the way he did, giving them a little more momentum. The water around them got lighter and clearer as they swum up from the depths, and eventually their heads broke the surface.

Mal immediately grabbed on to the ledge Ben had fallen off of and pulled herself up, back onto solid stone. The deep breaths of air she was gulping – plus the years of training with Jay - gave her the strength to pull Ben up as well, since all the fight had gone out of him. He was coughing uncontrollably, and water dribbled out of his mouth in a continuous little stream. _He still can't breathe._ As much as she lacked confidence in her magic at that moment, Mal had to try.

 _Defy death borne by sweet tongues  
_ _Remove the water from his lungs._

Technically, this spell was used specifically to save men who drowned themselves listening to the Sirens' song in Greece, but it had the desired effect. As Mal's fingers curled into her palm in a beckoning motion, about half a liter of water spewed from Ben's mouth and hung in the air for a second before splashing onto the floor. Ben gasped and fell on his back. His entire body shuddered each time he took a breath. He was shaking so much it took Mal a while to notice she had a tremor as well.

 _I almost killed him._ That stupid, _stupid_ ploy with the bee had nearly drowned him. She should've just let him sing. Anything would have been preferable to this. Mal felt an unfamiliar hot prick behind her eyes as she watched him desperately fill his lungs, and took more deep breaths to calm herself down.

After a few seconds, Ben's wheezes got quieter. "Ben?" He didn't answer. He looked like he was sleeping, with his eyes shut and his unresponsiveness to the environment around him. If he hadn't been shaking and still breathing rather forcibly, he would've seemed deathly calm. His skin looked too pale, just like it had in the water. Mal lightly touched his hand - it was cold from the lake. She had seen enough corpses in her day to find this unsettling. Mal waited for a few seconds more, and then again, "Ben?" Her voice shook. "Please say something."

His words were slow and deliberate, though it still looked like he was sleeping. "Some…" He coughed. "...first date…this was."

Out of pure relief, Mal gave a short laugh and sat back to give him space. He finally opened his eyes and slowly dragged himself up on one elbow, rubbing his chest with his free hand.

"If you can swim," she started, unable to put any anger in this accusation, "Why were you down there for so long?"

He had a strange, slightly confused look on his face. "The lake is...your...um, shock, I guess." His expression focused for a minute as he gazed at her. "You can't swim?" She shook her head. "Why'd you jump in?"

She tried several different beginnings before admitting the truth. "I tried to get you out of there with magic, but it wasn't working. I didn't know what else to do."

He smiled, just a little. "You really do care about me, don't you?"

Mal was not about to admit that. "Well, I don't want people thinking I assassinated you."

"Oh. Right." Ben's confusion returned. It was supposed to be a joke - instead of laughing it off like he normally would, he closed himself off and rubbed his head. She fumbled around for something to say, but failed to make a sound. They were silent for a minute while Ben pulled himself up into a fully sitting position. When he finally looked back at her, he still seemed far too serious for her liking. "You're shaking. Are you cold?"

The air was a little nippy, seeing as Auradon's mild autumn was underway, and being drenched to the bone was not helping. But her body temperature was the last thing on Mal's mind. "I'm fine."

"You're not." He stood up, and Mal reflexively helped him. "My jacket's on my bike."

"I don't need - just rest for a minute - Ben!" He was already walking down the path towards his motorcycle. Mal had no choice but to follow. When he tried to put the jacket around her, she swatted it away.

"Mal - "

He insisted on giving it to her, and she pushed it back towards him like they were playing some sort of reverse tug-of-war. "You take it! You're the one who almost _died_." Saying out loud made it so much worse. She pressed the jacket into his chest gently. The heat had returned to the back of her eyes and her vision blurred. She couldn't even look at him, choosing to stare at her hands instead. "You...almost died," she repeated, her voice quiet.

"I'm alright, though." Ben tilted her face up towards his by the chin. She knew he could see how glassy her eyes had gotten by the comforting smile he gave her, at last. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

Mal didn't know who had leaned in first. One minute she'd been looking at him through watery eyes and the next his lips were pressed against hers. It was the most amazing thing she'd ever felt in her life. Every ray of sunshine that had ever warmed her skin, every smile she'd ever seen, every second she'd ever spent creating something beautiful - it was like all of that was pouring into this moment. Her stomach did flips, her heart skipped a beat, and her mind fell into a deep, dark abyss of despair because every villain since the beginning of time knew what this was.

True love's kiss.

It only lasted a couple of seconds, which simultaneously felt like a lifetime but not nearly enough. They separated just an inch because something was holding them there, something that screamed _kiss again!_ Ben's eyes fluttered open, and a slow smile spread across his face. "Wow," he breathed.

Mal couldn't share in his sentiment, at least not entirely. Every single emotion she'd ever known, and a few she'd never felt before, were currently at war within her. True love's kiss. She was in love. At the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong person - a person who only loved her because of a potion. She'd utterly failed every villain who was counting on her. Instead of plotting to destroy Ben and everything he stood for, she'd fallen for him. She'd never even considered this complication and consequently had been blind when it had been _so achingly obvious_ all along. He was the reason for everything good in her life and she loved him for it and she'd never loved anyone before, she hadn't even known that she _could_ , and he had her heart in the palm of his hand and she still had to destroy his kingdom in the next week and her love was completely one sided because if not for the spell he wouldn't look twice at her and all of this hurt _so much_ it was like she was drowning all over again-

"Mal?" Ben said worriedly, no doubt noticing the outward manifestation of her turmoil. "I - were you - was - "

She took a step away from him. "Can we go back?" she asked quietly. She couldn't spend another minute with him right now without giving everything up; she couldn't even look him in the eye. Her vulnerability must have been written all over her face. If he'd been in his right mind, Ben could've asked her anything and her ability to lie would've been turned off, useless.

But he wasn't, and he didn't. "Sure." He'd taken on a rather grim appearance. They donned the helmets and Mal sat behind him, trying to see if she could get away with just holding on to his shoulders. Ben gently relocated her hands so they were clasped around his waist. "I'm sorry. It's just not safe any other way."

Mal didn't comment, trying her best not to brush up against his muscular abdomen - she was already in love, she didn't need lust to become a problem too. They zipped off back to Auradon Prep in silence.

Ben dropped her off in front of the dorms. The power of speech failed her as she got off the bike; there was nothing to say that would make this situation any better. "Um, I'll see you," she decided on, cursing how lame it sounded.

"Mal." His tone made him impossible to ignore. "I'm so sorry if I crossed a line. I never want you to feel uncomfortable because of something I did."

God, he was perfect in every way. Mal sighed heavily. "It's not your fault." She walked away. If he wasn't spelled, he never would have kissed her. He never would've tried to sing to her. She never would have known her feelings for him. None of this was his fault - it was all hers.

* * *

"Okay, so the carriage will take Ben and Mal all the way to the doors of the Grand Arthurian Court. This place is a historical landmark and it was recently renovated, so getting the floor plan wasn't too hard." Evie had enlarged the layout and printed parts of it on separate sheets of copy paper so as not to arouse suspicion. After taping them together, she spread the final design on her cleared desk. "The reception will take place in the foyer, but most people will have moved into the auditorium by the time Ben and Mal get there. The wand will be here - " she pointed to the center of the auditorium stage. " - or at least, that's about where it was the last time they crowned anyone."

"Where will Mal be sitting?" asked Carlos. The fairy girl was currently on a date with Ben, but Carlos seemed interested enough in her role, as if he was asking on her behalf.

"Here, off to the side. From there, she can use her Summoning Spell without too much trouble. After she has the wand in hand, we're planning on taking down the barrier right away. So even if some other really powerful fairy or sorcerer tries to stop Mal, help will be on the way from the Isle."

Jay frowned. "It just seems so simple."

"Well, with magic, it is. But the hard part comes next. We have to try to stay alive once everyone realizes what we're doing. Mal says that as soon as she's done with the barrier, she'll try putting everyone in the auditorium to sleep. There are a couple of problems with that: it's a powerful spell and she needs the wand, but it might get taken away from her in that time. And even magically, falling asleep takes a few minutes. That means the three of us have to be ready to escape so we don't get killed - and we'll _also_ be falling asleep. There are some exits here, here, and here." She pointed them out. "With our assigned seating, I'm not sure we'll be able to know which one we're closest to until the day of. I've told Mal to give us a signal before she starts the plan so we can rush to a door. Don't do anything suspicious before then, or it might ruin the whole thing. You've got to act like you're going to sit there for the whole ceremony."

"Wait, we're just going to abandon her?" Carlos argued.

"Don't be stupid, Carlos. She can take care of herself."

Regardless, he declared, "I'm not going to leave her behind."

Evie glanced at Jay, confused and looking for answers. Jay just shrugged and said, "We'll all get out of there, one way or another." He clapped Carlos on the back. "What could possibly go wrong, right?"

"Please don't say that," the blue-haired girl grumbled. "I don't need any of this jinxed."

The three of them stared silently at the sheets of paper before them. Finally, Carlos muttered, "Can't believe this is just a few days away."

"I know," Jay agreed softly.

Evie was trying not to think about it, but the marked-up floor plan in front of her was making it hard to push this to the back of her mind. _Don't think about where all the shops you've been buying fabric from will go. Don't think about how you could've actually had a career here, instead of being some royal baby-making machine. Don't think about what will happen to Doug. No matter what, don't think about what will happen to Doug._

"So what're you guys doing for your last Saturday in Old Auradon?" asked Carlos. Evie had to turn up the intensity of her mental reminders so that his poorly-worded question didn't make things worse.

"Doug and I are going to have a picnic," she said quietly. "Do you want to come?"

* * *

It was a nice day for a picnic. The sky was a clear blue and a light breeze cooled them enough that they didn't need to sit in the shade. Doug was sitting with his legs stretched out on the checkered blanket, more relaxed than Carlos had ever seen him in Evie's presence even though she was actually leaning on him. Evie had changed into jeans, since they'd planned on sitting on the ground, and nibbled at a sandwich while talking to her boyfriend. Dude lounged at Carlos's side where he knew he'd get scraps, and Jay had joined Carlos in facing the couple on the other side of the picnic blanket. The two Isle boys had demolished most of the food, but that had been expected.

Carlos couldn't help but wonder where Mal and Ben were. Probably on a picnic much like this one, if he'd heard Lonnie correctly. He hoped they weren't as lovey-dovey as Doug and Evie - though how could they be, with Mal as cold and untouchable as one of Arendelle's ice castles?

"I was thinking you could go into perfumery, you know? Combine chemistry and fashion. You could have your own line," Doug was telling Evie.

Despite the betrayal they'd been planning not hours before, Evie smiled delightedly. "That's perfect! I have _so_ many scents I'd want to try. And of course a clothing line to go with it - literally to go with it. I mean, how has no one matched perfumes to specific outfits before? And to specific make-up palettes? It becomes so much more than just wearing clothes, it's a whole experience when people meet you."

Jay rolled his eyes at Carlos, who grinned back. While Doug excitedly discussed target demographics and profit margins and patents with Evie, Jay and Carlos finished the rest of the food in the picnic basket and licked their fingers. "Geez, they're still going," Carlos marveled. "Do people really care that much about how they _smell_?"

"Remember, you're talking about princesses here."

"Oh yeah. Maybe we can tell them to make an after-tourney cologne for princes who want to smell more badass."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

" _You're_ the dumbest thing I've ever heard," Carlos retorted. Jay shoved him, and he shoved back, and for a moment it was just like the old days when they'd be messing around while Evie condescended to take a moment out from whatever she was doing to give them a disdainful look. It was good to see Jay enjoying himself, however briefly. Jafar's death was harder on him than Carlos would ever understand.

"I can't believe I used to think I was dumber than them," said Evie.

Doug tried not to laugh. "You guys aren't dumb. You're just...not very creative with your vocabulary."

His girlfriend rubbed his arm and kissed his cheek. "I'm sure they appreciate you trying, but they really are morons."

"You guys are talking about how people should have a separate perfume for every outfit, and _we're_ the morons?"

"Doug thinks it's a great idea, right, Dougie?" her eyes glittered teasingly, knowing she was making him squirm.

Carlos roared with laughter. "So she gets to call you Dougie? Thought you hated that name."

Still blushing, Doug hugged Evie. "Not when she says it. It's cute."

Jay snickered too. "Damn, you need to watch out. If you let her get away with everything she's going to walk all over you."

Carlos considered that while Evie denied she'd ever do such a thing. "Yeah, man, I don't really get it. I mean, Mal is a super powerful scary sorceress and I'm in love with her too, but even then I don't think I'd ever let her call me 'Carly.'"

While Doug and Jay laughed at the thought of 'Carly,' Evie's expression froze. "What did you say about Mal?"

* * *

Jay knew he was in trouble the minute Evie's countenance iced over. After Carlos's explanation, she seemed to let it go, but she sought Jay out later and pulled him all the way down the hallway into her empty room.

"What the hell is going on? Why is Carlos spelled?" she hissed.

Jay hadn't thought ahead to this particular confrontation. "Um, he...accidentally ate one of the cookies."

"Where did he get the damn cookie, Jay? We threw them all away! Or at least, I thought we did, because I wasn't watching the resident kleptomaniac!"

"So I gave it to him!" Jay admitted. "So what? I told him to stay out of Mal's way for now and he is. She doesn't even know he's in love with her." He took on a pleading tone. "It was for his own good, Evie. He was getting out of hand. He just feels really safe here and thinks that - "

"For his own good, or yours?" she interrupted coldly. Jay gaped. "You'd better control him. This entire plan works only if Mal stays Ben's girlfriend until Friday. Don't let him screw this up, or it's on you."

* * *

 **As always, let me know what you think!**


	17. Is This Just A Dream?

**Thanks so much for all the reviews! Definitely motivated me to get this chapter up faster than usual!**

* * *

Mal's recurring dream had taken on new meaning - it was no longer the crown she wanted, it was the person wearing it.

 _"Give it to me!" she demanded._

 _Ben laughed. "Come and get it!" He had a strawberry in his hand - the last one, Mal somehow knew, though there was no plate or bowl in sight - and made a show of preparing to eat it._

 _Mal leaned forward and took a large bite of the fruit, chewing and swallowing it right in front of his face. She didn't return to a comfortable seated position, and instead smirked, keeping her slightly reddened lips near his. Ben's eyes darted down, and his grin disappeared as he closed the gap between them._

Mal was awoken by a knock on her door Sunday morning. It was early, not yet seven. Evie, the heavier sleeper, merely stirred. At first, Mal wondered if she'd just imagined the noise, but then it came again.

Groggily, she trudged to the door and opened it to find a fully dressed and wide awake Ben on the other side. Immediately, she realized how awful she must look - she smoothed down her hair and rubbed her eyes. "Um, hey." Her pajamas were all wrinkled from sleeping in them, and beyond salvaging.

"Hi," greeted Ben quietly, looking past her to see Evie sleeping soundly. "Sorry for coming by so early. Can we talk outside so we don't wake her up?"

"Okay. I'll be out in a second." Mal closed the door and gathered herself. Even seeing him made her stomach flutter. Then, as quickly as she could, she changed into something more presentable and brushed her hair, popping a piece of gum in her mouth.

Ben was waiting patiently for her and nodded in the direction of the common room when she closed the door behind her. For the first time since he'd been spelled, the prince didn't automatically reach for her hand. He was silent and distant, both literally and metaphorically. It was unnerving. She couldn't help but feel guilty - how had she messed up their fake relationship so much?

They walked among the empty couches, stopping at a pair of armchairs in front of an unlit fireplace. Ben waited for her to sit down before he did the same, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his legs. "I guess I should just start with...are you upset with me?"

"No!" That was louder than she had intended it to be. Mal curled up on the armchair and wrapped her arms around her knees. "I'm not upset. I meant it when I said it wasn't your fault; you didn't do anything wrong. We just don't date on the Isle. I freaked out. I shouldn't have," she lied.

"It's not your fault either, Mal. I should've known better. I'm sorry." She wished he would stop apologizing about what was quite honestly the best three seconds of her life. He was so morose and serious and she hated seeing him this way. "I know by now how different things are on the Isle. That people do things differently, maybe react to things differently, even have different ideas about what's right and what's wrong..." Ben was struggling.

"Ben, it's seriously fine, I - "

"Wait, I...let me finish because...there's no easy way to say this, Mal, especially after what I did yesterday." Mal was on the verge of telling him to quit beating himself up about it or she was going to physically beat him up. "And again, I know on the Isle you have a different set of rules than here, so, if that's the case then that's okay and we'll figure it out...I don't want to sound like I'm accusing you. I just want to know why...I _need_ to know why..." His ramblings were becoming more and more incoherent, and Mal began to worry about his state of mind. He finally looked at her dead on. "Yesterday, when I fell in the lake, something happened."

 _Oh no._ Did he knew it was Mal who'd caused that accident? Had he seen her mouthing the words to the spell? But before either of them could say anything else, a noise coming from the corridor leading to the boys' dorms drew their attention. Audrey emerged from the hallway, attempting to be as quiet as possible. Her hair was a mess, her clothes wrinkled, and her shoes in her hand. She saw them a split second after they saw her, and her face burned.

"What are you two doing up?" the princess hissed.

Normally, Mal would've made a snarky comment about how enjoyable Audrey's night must have been, but she was too focused on what Ben was about to not-accuse her of. "Nothing," she replied instead, turning back to Ben. "What were you say - " Then she noticed Ben was staring oddly at Audrey, as if deep in thought. It suddenly occurred to her that somewhere deep down, where the love potion couldn't touch, the fact that his former girlfriend was sleeping with Chad might actually hurt him. She called his name again and when he acknowledged her, finally said what she'd been thinking all along, "You're too good for her."

Mal hadn't cared if Audrey, still slinking back to her room, heard her. What mattered was Ben's response, in which he began to say, "I was just wondering, if you hadn't come around, what I would..." but was interrupted by Audrey marching up to them to defend herself.

"That's really rich, coming from you," sneered Audrey. "At least I'm royalty. _Real_ royalty. And my parents have never done a bad deed in their lives. You think _I'm_ the one he's too good for?"

"Audrey - " Ben warned.

She wasn't done. "You're the one taking advantage of him - enabling him to keep being a pushover. You really think he'd ever make you queen? Or that anyone would let him? We all know it's the power you're after. Just like your mother."

"Audrey, that's enough!" Ben thundered. Both he and Mal were on their feet.

Surprised, Audrey quieted, and Mal had a chance to interject. "I care about him," she allowed herself to say. "Do you? Did you ever?"

For the first time that day, she felt Ben's hand on her shoulder. He'd been furious when Audrey insulted her, but had relaxed just as quickly - he was looking at Mal now the way he always did, with soft, kind eyes.

"You probably don't even know what it's like to care about someone," Audrey responded coldly, turning on her heel. The couple barely noticed her leaving; Mal reached up to rest her hand on Ben's so he wouldn't move it. _If only you knew how much I really cared._

Nevertheless, Ben squeezed her shoulder lightly and let go, sitting back in the armchair. "That was...eventful."

"Always is," Mal agreed, retaking her place.

"I know I'm supposed to let her come around on her own, but I've got half a mind to stick her in Remedial Goodness."

Mal made a face. "Please don't make her my classmate." Ben laughed, and for a second, everything was back to normal. Mal dreaded bringing the discussion back to the original topic, but it had to be done. "What did you want to talk about before she came by?"

Ben paused briefly, his smile disappearing, but it quickly returned. "I thought that...You know what, never mind. It wasn't that important. I just want to make sure things are okay between us."

"They are," Mal replied emphatically.

"Good." He leaned back in his chair. "So, strawberries, huh? You know they're even better covered in chocolate?"

"That sounds dangerous."

"Oh, it is." She smiled at his mock-solemnity.

More and more students walked by as they continued talking, waving or stopping by to say hello on their way to breakfast. Every break in their conversation brought Mal back to the real world, where the nagging guilt ate away at her but it couldn't totally extinguish that little flame inside her heart, that recurring thought that _this is what love feels like._ Just sitting there with Ben, doing absolutely nothing remarkable at all, made her so much happier than she could ever remember being. And she only had a week of this left - if she believed as he did, then she had just _one week_ with her one true love. She'd never get another. Should she make the most of it, or stop before she grew any more invested in this relationship? It was just so easy to keep falling. Whenever he looked away from her while yet another person was greeting him, she drank in the sound of his voice, the sparkle in his eyes, the lines of his face. Yes, it was easy to keep falling - but that would make the crash hurt so much more.

He caught her staring, eventually. Mal blushed and to distract him, remarked, "How do you have the time to be friends with this many people?"

"I, uh...really don't know all of their names," he admitted. "They know me but I don't know them, a lot of the time."

"You act like you know them," Mal pointed out.

"Well, I guess it's the difference between being friendly and being friends. It's easy to do one, not so much the other. You must know," he added. "Sometimes when you're a leader, there's a lot you can't share with people and it's hard to actually build up the trust you need to be friends. You mostly end up with people around you who either don't know you that well or just want to be associated with you for their own ends."

"That's true." How much had she hidden from Evie, Jay, and Carlos? Her feelings for Ben, for one. Her inability to dragonmorph, for another. They held her up to a high standard that she knew she didn't have a chance of reaching, but that's what was needed for them to feel confident that the plan would work out. That's why they could never be her friends, she realized. They could never know her. "It's lonely."

"It is." Then, he corrected, "It was."

He smiled at her, and she could only manage the tiniest of smiles back because that was the life she'd be living all over again once he was gone. "It was," she repeated, not totally able to keep the sadness out of her voice.

Ben only kept her a little while longer, mentioning a town hall in Atlantis he needed to video-call in to. As they were walking back, he also told her, "My parents are going to be coming in on Wednesday to help set up stuff for the coronation."

For obvious reasons, he didn't seem happy about it. "Have you talked to your dad lately?"

"No. Mostly my mom. But I guess we'll eventually have to."

"We?" said Mal, surprised. "Do you want me to meet them?"

Ben shifted uncomfortably. "It would be nice...is it selfish of me to want someone there who's on my side?"

"No." She wanted so badly to hold him. "I'll be there."

"Thanks." They'd arrived at Mal's door, and he smiled at her again. "A king should probably be more mature than that, but I'm not king yet."

Wanting to leave on a lighter note, Mal leaned against the door frame and crossed her arms. "Will you be busier as king?"

"Yeah, much busier. Why?"

"Because you've got enough time on your hands to wake me up ridiculously early on a Sunday, and I'm trying to make sure it doesn't happen again."

He rolled his eyes. "So dramatic."

"Six in the morning, Ben!"

"It was closer to seven."

"Should've been ten." She opened the door to see that Evie was still in bed. "Good night."

He laughed quietly, showing her that his watch read 8:30 a.m. "Good night."

But then he started to walk away, and Mal was left confused. Normally he'd proclaim his love for her at least once every time they met. Naturally at first that morning they'd been a little awkward, but she thought that had been resolved. Had he forgotten? Had she really been looking forward to that so much, she was keeping track?

Ben looked back when he didn't hear the door close, and Mal blushed again at being caught. She waved quickly and shut the door before mentally kicking herself for staring so obviously not once, but _twice_.

"Mal?" Evie mumbled from under the covers. "Did you spend the night with him?"

The insinuation did not help Mal's reddening face. "No! He just wanted to talk. I came home last night, remember? I was all wet from falling in the lake?"

"Oh yeah." Her voice was muffled by the blankets. "Still sleepy. Was almost really impressed, though."

* * *

Approximately three minutes later, Evie was no longer sleepy. In fact, she wondered at how she could have slept at all when the problem that arose clearly should've demanded so much more of her attention than she had given it and _how had she been so oblivious?_

"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" Her words were slow and deliberate in order to keep the emotion out of her voice.

"Calm down." Her roommate did not grasp the gravity of the situation. "Why are you talking like that?"

Of course Evie could not calm down. Unable to contain herself, she jumped out of bed, frazzled and upset. " _What did you just say to me?!"_

"Geez, Evie, I just asked if you had anything I could wear to the coronation!"

Anything to wear to the - anything to wear to the CORONATION? Evie had been planning her own outfit for weeks. Literally since she had first heard about the event. Why had she assumed Mal would do the same?

"You have NOTHING TO WEAR to a NATIONAL EVENT in which you are the DATE OF THE GODDAMNED KING and you're telling me this FIVE DAYS BEFORE?!" she screeched. "Are you _insane_?"

Mal frowned. "Yeah. Clearly _I'm_ the insane one here."

While the question of who was more sane was very much up in the air, Evie was most certainly the scariest person in the room at that moment.

"Get up," she ordered. "Quick! We don't have much time!"

Mal had just settled back into bed. "We have five days - "

"In five days, I have to design and stitch and tailor a one-of-a-kind dress for you because it'll be seen by everybody who exists and picked apart by every news media outlet in Auradon and so you are going to SHUT UP and COOPERATE with me right now, get it?"

"Got it." Mal had never sounded so meek. Evie knew Mal still couldn't care less but it mattered, so she was going to have to deal with it.

Evie roughly contorted Mal in every which way to get her measurements. The enchantress at one point murmured something about how she "wished she'd never asked" and Evie pulled the measuring tape even tighter around Mal's already petite waist. "I won't be able to breathe!" Mal protested.

"Tough."

Once that was done, Evie dismissed her roommate. It would be easier to work with Mal asleep anyway. Her textbooks languished, forgotten, while she drew up various ideas. All of them were immediately erased or even crumpled up if she was frustrated enough. Her boyfriend was spurned, though he was understanding about it. At the end of the day, after working like a madwoman, Evie had a design and express-ordered enough fabric to make the dress three times over.

* * *

For the most part, Carlos had not slipped up. Despite desperately wishing he could be at Mal's side every moment of every day, he settled with spending most of his time with Jay. On Monday, however, he found himself alone with Mal for the first time since he realized his love for her. That goody-two-shoes, prissy boyfriend of hers had some future-king business to attend to and wasn't stealing her away during lunch, for once. Their other friends were running a little late, so he sat next to her nervously and tried to start a conversation.

"How's your...um...food?"

She raised an eyebrow. "It's fine."

"Oh. Good. Cool." Why couldn't he just talk to her? "You...uh...you look really nice today." That didn't help at all; now she was looking at him like a third arm was sprouting from his forehead. He changed the topic. "So, Jay and I are coaching tourney practice today. We're going to teach all these heroes' kids how to be nasty. It'll probably be really funny, if you want to come and watch," he offered, hopeful.

Mal rolled her eyes. "If they're anything like Ben, you'll never get them to play dirty."

Ugh...she just had to mention him. "He's not even that good, you know," Carlos told her. "Jay is way better. I'm definitely faster than him."

"Good for you."

"It sucks that you have to date him," Carlos continued, but one glare from Mal shut him up.

"We're in a cafeteria full of people, you idiot," she seethed. "To them I don't _have_ to date him, I _want_ to."

"Right! Right," Carlos amended quickly. Then he whispered, "But you don't want to, right?"

He hadn't expected fear to cross her features. "Why are you asking me that? What makes you think I want to?"

"No reason," said Carlos hastily. "Just making sure, because, you know, maybe you could...have some other options once all of this is over." He hoped that was appropriately vague.

"What? That doesn't make any sense." She looked like she wanted to continue that discussion, but Jay and Lonnie had arrived and were loudly debating why their preferred sport was better than any other. Carlos tried not to glare at them. He wished he could at least plant the seed of a relationship with him in Mal's mind. Her gaze kept darting back to him throughout the meal, suspicious and wary. Did that mean she loved him? He certainly hoped so.

After they all got up to leave, Mal pulled him aside. Her hand on his sleeve sent Carlos's heart into a frenzy. "Why did you ask me if I loved Ben?"

He frowned. "I didn't. Just asked if you wanted to be dating him, because he's so important and stuff. Or if you'd want to date someone a little less...princely." He smiled at what must have been her idea of a joke. "No one in their right mind would think you loved Ben."

"Oh." She relaxed so much it kind of looked like she was sagging a little. "Good." Then another thought occurred to her. "That's a really weird question...why do you care?"

It broke his heart to lie to her, but lie he must, until there was no chance of jeopardizing their mission. "I was making conversation. Like friends do."

She softened. "I guess I'm not used to that. I, um, I don't think I'd want to date anyone el - ah, anyone. It's...it's not for me."

"Don't count yourself out." _Please don't count yourself out._ "Things change all the time. I mean, look at where we were a couple of months ago. Stuff happens sometimes that you can't even imagine."

"Yeah, sometimes." They were about to head in separate directions for class, and Mal gave him the smallest of smiles. "I don't remember us ever talking like this. It's...nice." And then she was gone.

Carlos tried not to break into a victory dance.

* * *

Jay blew on his own personal whistle, gifted to him that morning by the coach. "I want to see some real villainy here!" he announced to his practicing team. "I'm talking punches to the stomach, tripping, elbowing, trash-talking, and tackling! Quit acting like kittens, let's hear some roars!"

"Emmett!" Carlos called out, "What the hell was that? Did you just offer to help up an opponent? Kick him while he's down! Take advantage!"

"Okay, okay," Coach interrupted nervously. "Let's not advocate for abuse so much as resourcefulness."

"What's the difference?" asked Jay.

"Very funny. I think - I _hope_ \- you know."

They set up a scrimmage, with Jay and Carlos on the sidelines yelling out advice.

"Damien, go for his ankles!"

"Justin, don't pass if you don't need to!"

"Ben, you should've backed into him!"

"Harry, go low!"

"Chad, if you touch your hair one more time...!"

Naturally, the game got rougher as time went on. A few people ate dirt, more ended up with scratches. Despite the injuries, though, there was a definite feeling of freedom - the one that came from bending the rules as far as they would go. Jay found himself rooting for other people, for once. Every time one of his team members showed some initiative, he felt a swell of pride - after all, this whole practice showcased a synergistic combination of his coaching and his teammates' creativity and athleticism. These guys were chumps without him, but altogether they made a pretty good team.

"This went well," Coach told Jay after the practice was over. "We'll do a few more of these. After all, next time we're up against Arendelle it'll be winter, which basically makes Auradon just like their home turf. We've got to be ready."

"We will be, Coach," Jay said confidently...and then faltered. His team wouldn't make it to winter. Auradon wouldn't make it to winter. They had four days of existence left.

Jay looked out over his departing teammates, wondering how many of them would survive the war that was to come. Emmett, Princess Ariel's son, would most likely die by Ursula's hand. Henry would probably become the victim of Hades. Taylor's parents had made themselves enemies of Dr. Facilier long ago, and that man loved to torture his victims before he killed them. And Ben - Ben would be Maleficent's primary target, if Mal didn't kill him first.

"Jay? Ready to go?" asked Carlos. "I've got to feed Dude."

The thief nodded, shouldering his backpack and following his friend home. At least, thanks to the precautions he'd taken, Carlos was one teammate he wasn't going to lose this week.


	18. Will You Still Be With Me

**Sorry, I know this is a shorter chapter than usual. Still hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

Mal fidgeted in her designated spot by the front doors of Auradon Prep. Her outfit consisted of an actual dress: knee length, deep purple, with some sort of abstract print. Evie had picked it out, obviously, though she'd hated to take time away from putting together Mal's coronation outfit. It looked wonderful - just the kind of item to wear when meeting her boyfriend's parents - but she'd never worn a dress before in her life and she wasn't used to it.

Ben approached her after speaking to some of the staff. "They're almost here."

"You're nervous," observed Mal, with some surprise. She thought only villains' kids were afraid of their parents. Then again, maybe 'afraid' wasn't the right word.

"A little," he admitted. "I haven't talked to them face-to-face since I left for the school year and..." He had his hands stuffed in his pockets, his shoulders hunched up. Ben looked every bit the moody teenager he normally wasn't, but at least he had a good reason. "...I'm just scared that I'll find out he knew about everything that was happening on the Isle, and that he did nothing anyway. He's my dad, Mal. He raised me, and I want to believe he's good, but he's always been on the borderline. That's why he was cursed to begin with."

He'd tied his tie too tight, which probably wasn't helping the tension. Mal loosened it, unnecessarily bringing herself a little closer to him. "You believed in me, even though you had no reason to." _Even though you're wrong._ "You can believe in him, too."

"Mal, you're literally defending the guy who put you there. Of course I have a reason to believe in you," Ben breathed, cupping her cheek. Mal covered his hand with her own and leaned into his touch. _I couldn't care less about defending him, Ben, I just hate to see you unhappy_.

The sound of several cars pulling up to the roundabout called their attention. The king's motorcade parked and started emptying. Servants and guards poured out of the vehicles, shouting orders at each other.

Ben grimaced and pulled away from her. "I should go. I'll bring them here." He walked towards the middle car just as King Adam and Queen Belle stepped out.

The King looked very little like Ben. He had dark hair that he'd clearly cut since his beastly days and sharply chiseled features that made him handsome for his age. He wore a royal blue suit and a golden crown, but his impeccable posture and serious expression would have screamed 'regal' even without all the dressings.

Ben resembled his mother far more. Belle was still beautiful, even all these years after having a child. She wore very little makeup and a dress to match her husband's yellow tie. Her brown hair had been pulled back into a bun, although a few strands had escaped at some point and naturally framed her face. She had kind eyes that reminded Mal of Ben more than any other similarity between the two of them. Her arm was draped around her husband's. She smiled when she saw her son.

The prince and the queen hugged for a long time; partly, Mal guessed, because they hadn't seen each other in over a month and partly because Ben was avoiding greeting his father. Mal observed how close they were, thinking ahead to Friday when she would see her mother for the first time after a separation of similar length. There would be no hugging - there was more likely to be a lot of anger for having kept Maleficent waiting so long.

Finally, Ben let go and turned to his father. They shook hands stiffly, and then Ben gestured towards the numerous people on the school's lawn waiting to greet the current King and Queen - cooks, caterers, decorators, maids, musicians, reporters, photographers, and of course, Fairy Godmother. Mal was somewhat hidden behind this crowd of people, who all curtsied or bowed as the royal family walked through their ranks.

Mal drew herself up as they approached. She was not intimidated by the king and queen; she was, however, trying to avoid creating any more problems with Ben. She found the urge to light the king's hair on fire much harder to control when he threw her a contemptuous glance upon Ben's introduction.

"Mal, this is my mom Belle, and my dad Adam," said Ben, as if the whole kingdom didn't already know.

Evie had forced Mal to practice her curtsy, but it was still a little awkward. "Your Majesty."

Belle smiled and reached for Mal's hand. The fairy girl tried not to roll her eyes. This was where all of Ben's hand-holding came from. "Pleased to meet you, Mal. Aren't we, Adam?"

The king's eyes narrowed. " _Inordinately_ pleased to meet the villain girl who turned my son against me."

" _Dad!_ "

" _Adam_!"

"So I guess we're doing this now," Mal commented calmly. She rubbed Ben's arm to calm him, because he looked furious. Cameras clicked behind them and reporters clamored to get a snippet of this royal outburst. "Maybe somewhere more private?"

That, at least, Adam agreed to, though Ben hardly waited until the four of them ducked into a nearby conference room to berate his father. "How could you say that? And in front of all those people?"

"Both of you, behave!" Belle said sternly, though she was mostly ignored.

"You can see it in her eyes," Adam declared, referring to Mal as though she wasn't in the room. "She's evil through and through, and she has you under her spell." Mal couldn't help but flinch a little bit at that. He was absolutely right - Ben wouldn't support her nearly as much if he hadn't been spelled. Ben faltered for a minute, and Adam took advantage. "Your mother's been relaying all the things this girl has been telling you - since you won't speak to your own father. Children starving and dying of illness? Being raped and murdered? These are all lies, Ben. She's been feeding you lies to blind you."

"They're not lies," Mal offered, for what it was worth. Only Belle heard her.

"You're the one who's been lying, dad!" Ben shot back. "You lied for years about what was happening on that island. Or did you just choose never to find out?"

"I don't need to find out, it doesn't make any sense! We send food and supplies to the Isle, how would anyone starve - "

"You locked kids in with VILLAINS, of course it makes sense!"

"All of them are villains, Ben! They were _born_ evil."

"That's the kind of thinking that makes you no better than the real villains on the Isle - the ones that have actually done something."

"Ben," Mal interjected coolly. "That's not true. Villains don't need _justification_ to make innocent people suffer. At least the king has an excuse."

Adam snarled, acknowledging her for the first time, "How _dare_ you speak of your king that way!"

"She'll speak of you how she wants," fumed Ben. "She was one of those innocent people. You weren't her king. You never protected her or anyone else born on the Isle. They're just kids, dad. What would you have done if it was me stuck there? Would you have left me there too?"

"What a ridiculous - "

"Adam, that's enough," said Belle quietly. "You know this would be resolved by a single trip to the Isle of the Lost, but you refuse to go because you're afraid of finding out the truth. Accepting responsibility means accepting a heavy burden of guilt. That is something you will need to come to terms with - to keep denying it is cowardly. And Ben, he is your father. He loves you and respects you, and he is a good king who made a terrible mistake. You and I both know he's no villain."

Mal wondered if this was how arguments in the royal family usually went - Ben and Adam yelling almost incoherently, and then Belle swooping in with rational thought after they'd let off some steam. This time, though, it wasn't working.

"He won't even admit it," Ben said, disgusted. "He'd be willing to leave them there."

"There's nothing to admit!" roared the king. Turning to his wife, he added, "And I'm no coward! Everyone on that island _belongs_ there. It's folly to bring any of them into Auradon. We have seen time and time again what villains are capable of, and I won't allow that to happen again while I am king. And when I'm not, well, you'll see what her and her kind will do to our kingdom." He gestured at his son's girlfriend.

Ben wouldn't stand for it. " _You don't even know her._ She grew up on that island. She did what she had to, to survive. But do you know what she does here? She bakes _cookies_. She _paints_. She stands up for people being bullied. She goes to classes that are harder than anything she's had before, and she does well. She looks out for her friends. And she...she saved my life, even if it almost cost hers." Ben locked eyes with her, and again, she felt like his parents weren't even there anymore, like he was talking only to her. "She's an incredible person. She's sarcastic and witty, and she'll make you work to get a smile out of her but when you do it's so worth it. She doesn't know how beautiful she is. And I can't say enough...how much I love her."

Mal had the strangest feeling, like he was saying it for the first time. Granted, it _was_ the first time in a couple of days, but there was something so different in his tone - she genuinely believed him for a second.

So did the king and queen. Belle smiled softly, but Adam narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Ben, I'd like to speak to you alone." He exchanged glances with his wife, who sighed and over Ben's protests, politely asked Mal if she would share some of the artwork her son complimented so often.

At least she ended up with the calm parent. Mal shrugged at Ben and led the queen out of the conference room, up the stairs, and down the hallway to the girls' dormitory.

* * *

Evie wasn't really paying attention when Mal opened the door to the room. "Do you want a beaded belt, or a sequined belt?" she called, never lifting her eyes from her sewing machine.

"Um...I don't..."

"You're right. No belt. What was I thinking?" she fretted, picking at a wayward thread.

"Evie, the queen's here."

The blue haired girl whirled around in shock. True to her word, Mal was standing next to Queen Belle, who was currently taking in the mess that Evie had made of their room and the mannequin with Mal's mostly-finished dress on it. "Your Majesty!" she squeaked, knocking over several things in her hurry to stand up and curtsy. Embarrassment colored her face. Here she was, in front of one of the most elegant women in the entire kingdom, and she'd just sent spools of thread rolling all over the floor. The floor was covered in scraps of fabric and pins and glitter and _the queen was seeing all of it._

"Ben mentioned several times that you were artistically inclined, Mal. But he never told me about you, Evie." Belle daintily stepped over a roll of cloth to get closer to the dress. "Is this what you're wearing to the coronation?"

"What Mal is wearing, Your Highness," Evie replied, collecting herself. "It should be done today."

"It's lovely. Very well done." Evie grinned with pride. "And you, Mal? Where is your work showcased?"

"Um, it's not, really." Mal was less delicate about wading through the sea of tailoring detritus, stepping on whatever came under her shoes. She pulled a sketchbook out of her desk drawer and awkwardly handed it to Belle, who flipped through the pages.

It was the first time Evie had seen the contents of that sketchbook. She hadn't really been interested, to be completely honest. Looking at it now, though, she was amazed. Dragons were a common theme; not a scale out of place, eyes like jewels, and wings as thin and leathery as a bat's. Some of the drawings depicted their old haunts on the Isle; chain link fences and rickety stairs, graffiti-covered walls and garbage in the streets. Others looked more like Auradon, with towering trees and colorful gardens. One picture was of a girl, maybe four or five, with a flower in her hair. Another was of Dude, and it looked like he was just about to jump out of the page at the viewer. They were all so meticulously done, so realistic, that Evie gasped.

"How do you do this?"

Mal shrugged, embarrassed. "They're just doodles."

"They're most certainly not 'just doodles'," Belle corrected. "You are both of you very talented young women." Some more than others, Evie thought to herself. She'd never known Mal could just photograph a moment in her mind and transfer every detail onto paper. Belle handed the book back to a flustered Mal, who shoved it back in the drawer. The way she was acting made Evie feel like she'd seen a very vulnerable side to her leader, one that she hadn't known existed.

"Do either of you like to read?" Belle asked, pointing to the chemistry book languishing on the floor near Evie's bed.

"Mostly textbooks, for school," said Mal, pulling out her desk chair for the queen to sit in.

"What a shame! I highly recommend reading for fun. Textbooks can be dry; if you find the right story it'll take you to a different world entirely. I visit the primary schools in Auradon often to establish reading programs. It's all about finding the book that speaks to you." She nodded at them. "When you come by the castle, remind me to show you the library. We'll pick out novels that will make bookworms out of you both."

Evie exchanged looks with her roommate. "That's...very gracious of you, Your Majesty..."

"Please, call me Belle."

"I do hope to see it one day." _Maybe Saturday. It won't be too damaged in just a day._

Belle misread their uncertain expressions. "You will. You are all welcome. I know my husband has not been the most amenable host, but..." She sighed. "I wish I could make excuses for him. He spent a very long time alone and afraid and has this tendency to see darkness around him. If he had known - if _we_ had known - how much you suffered...how many young lives this mistake stole..." She shook her head. Evie could see her eyes were glistening. "Ben knew, somehow. He really is something else, isn't he?" Belle smiled at Mal. "I don't know what good deed or kindness I did to have been blessed with such a compassionate, pure-hearted son. Sometimes I feel that I don't deserve him. He lights up the world." She wiped away a tear and stood up, grabbing Mal's hand. "Take good care of him. I only hope he's found in you someone who makes him as happy as he makes everyone else."

Mal, stunned, couldn't answer - almost like she _cared._ But that was a preposterous thought.

* * *

They were nearly there. They had made it, despite all their qualms about fitting in for long enough. Less than twenty four hours, and Auradon would be theirs. Mal would be so pleased.

The four Isle kids were supposed to gather in Mal's room one last time before dinner just to make sure there were no surprises. Well, none that would adversely affect the plan, at least.

Carlos and Jay knocked on the girls' door. It was opened by a harried-looking Evie, who barely invited them in before returning to fret over the most beautiful girl Carlos had ever seen.

Mal was up on a literal pedestal, clad in a lavender, floor-length dress that Evie was currently fussing over. Ruffles cascaded down the skirt, giving her a floating, blossoming look. The bodice hugged her torso tightly; Evie continued to cinch the waist while Mal complained. Both of them stopped when Carlos ran his mouth.

"Wow, Mal...you look incredible."

Three sets of eyes bored into him. He blushed.

"We had no idea you were a girl," Jay added.

"Say that again and I'll turn you into one," growled Mal.

Carlos laughed. "You're hilarious!"

Mal suddenly noticed that Evie and Jay looked more uneasy than confused. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing," Evie said a little too quickly. "He's just nervous about tomorrow. Ignore him."

He knew he was supposed to be hiding his feelings until after the coronation, but that was a little dismissive. Besides, how would she ever love him back if he didn't constantly shower her with compliments and show her how much he adored her? They could let him flirt a little.

"I am nervous," he admitted. "But I know everything is going to be fine, because Mal's in charge."

The enchantress frowned menacingly. "Fix whatever's got you acting weird before tomorrow, or I'll turn you into a girl too."

* * *

"God, you're getting worse," Jay muttered once they'd come back.

"What do you mean?" Carlos and Jay had found Dude pawing at their door when they returned, so Carlos picked him up.

"You need to chill around Mal. If you distract her or make anyone suspect she's not really in love with him..."

"No one's been smart enough to realize that so far. I don't think we'll need to worry." He scratched behind the dog's ears. "Hey, how do you think we can keep Dude safe during the actual fighting part?"

The dog's tongue lolled. He happily panted in Jay's general direction. "The fighting's not the only problem. You have to hide him from your mom." Jay had all but forgotten about Cruella's penchant for skinning animals. He'd been in Auradon too long.

Carlos's face fell. "So I'm supposed to stick him in some closet? Do I have to keep him there for the rest of his life?"

"Well..." Jay hated that he had to break Carlos's heart again. They hadn't planned for Dude. Once Cruella came to the mainland, Dude was in constant danger. There was one way to keep him safe, and Jay could only whisper it. "You might have to let him go."

"What?" It wasn't like Carlos had never considered the possibility, right? The shock and horror on his face suggested otherwise.

"Even if you keep him locked up, she might follow you and find him. And that wouldn't be a real life for him anyway, would it? Cooped up in some room where he couldn't run around? You'd need to take him somewhere far away...and leave him there."

Dude seemed to sense Carlos's sudden change in emotional state. He whined, twisting his neck to lick Carlos's face. The younger boy buried his head in Dude's fur, shaking as an attack came on.

"Carlos..." Jay reached for him, but Carlos jerked away.

"Leave me alone," he said harshly. "I don't need you. I need Dude."

That hurt. Jay supposed he deserved it. But he'd always been the one Carlos went to for comfort. _I guess after tomorrow, I will be again. Not like Mal's going to take up that job._ He waited for the shaking and crying to stop. The dog kept licking Carlos's face, nuzzling the boy with his wet nose.

"We'll take him tomorrow, after. We'll just get in a car and drive. Okay? We'll do it together," Jay said softly.

"That doesn't make it any better."

Jay could read into that pretty well. _You don't matter like you used to. You're not enough._ Seems like Jay wasn't the only one breaking hearts that day.


	19. When The Magic's All Run Out?

Ben had wanted to meet her that night. It was late, maybe an hour left until curfew, when Mal finally struggled out of the fabric trap Evie called a dress and changed into her jeans and jacket. She found Ben waiting for her in the common area between the girls' and boys' dorms, fidgeting a little more than usual. He offered his arm with a smile and she took it.

"So what did your dad have to tell you in private?" she asked him as they walked out the back doors of Auradon Prep into the clear, starry night.

"Pretty much what I expected." He didn't elaborate.

"Which was...?"

"Mal." He gave her a look. "They were all things I don't believe. That you're after the crown, or trying to kill us all, or something just as paranoid." It was so hard to keep her expression blank. Mal was glad this was the last night she needed to maintain the facade. She couldn't do it anymore. She _definitely_ couldn't do another conversation about how wholeheartedly Ben believed in her, so she changed the subject to the subtle wringing of his free hand.

"You seem pretty nervous for someone who doesn't think I'm trying to kill you."

Ben chuckled. "You got me." For a second, his hand was still. "It's stupid. It's just a ceremony. It's not going to be a huge change or anything - I still have to go to school and get my degree, my life is going to be exactly the same - but now people are going to start looking to me for decisions. I just don't want to make the wrong ones."

"That's a legitimate worry, Ben, it's not stupid." After all, his only decision so far was about to destroy his entire kingdom. "I don't think anyone expects you to go into this without a little doubt."

"I can't show any doubt. You've been a leader - you know that."

"Yeah. But that doesn't mean you can't feel it." She struggled with trying to imagine what Ben's rule would be like for the purposes of their conversation without fantasizing about how idyllic that future would be. "You're smart, Ben. You're kind, and you care so much. If that's behind every one of your decisions, you'll probably be making the right ones."

Mal really amazed herself sometimes. Both the fact that she'd come up with something so sappy and cringe-worthy, and that in a weird way it made sense to her despite everything in her upbringing telling her otherwise, surprised her. Ben, of course, was not surprised at all. He turned his head towards her and murmured, "Thank you," in her ear, the brush of his lips on her skin making her blush. He'd stopped walking and she had no choice but to follow suit, her arm latched onto his as it was. He took in her reddened cheeks, her shy eyes, her incompletely suppressed smile with his intense stare and said, "I love you, Mal."

Her breath caught - which was a good thing, or she would have responded in kind. He was gazing so deeply into her soul, he must have known regardless. There was some sort of thickening tension between them. She could sense it in the air. It wasn't helped by him adding softly, "You look even more beautiful in the moonlight."

Mal wanted nothing more than to close the space between them, feel his arms around her and his heart beating against her chest. He leaned forward and she shut her eyes in anticipation. She wouldn't back away this time. She would savor it, make it last. Maybe she'd even tell him she loved him back, as unhelpful as that would be. But just for one moment, the last chance she'd ever have, she could know what it was to be truly happy...

Ben's lips pressed onto her forehead, interrupting her hopeful train of thought. She caught herself before her shoulders sagged in disappointment; after all, this was nice too - and of course he wouldn't kiss her, he still thought she wasn't ready. But it served as a reminder of her situation. She didn't deserve to be happy, considering what she was going to do to him.

He gave her a smile that she felt was just for her, and though she couldn't look him in the eye out of guilt, she also couldn't look away, so she forced a smile back. Ben took her hand again and led her to a stretch of lawn without any trees nearby. He sat down, seemingly in a random spot, and invited her to join him. Confused, Mal did so.

"Jay told me you guys can't see stars on the Isle." Mal looked up. She hadn't given them much thought before, though she'd noted they were now present.

"They're pretty."

"Yeah. And tonight's really clear; you can see a lot of them." He laid back onto the grass and pointed up. "Do you see that row right there? That's Orion's Belt. You'll learn all of these in astronomy next semester."

Hesitantly, Mal laid down next to him. "All of what?"

"All of the constellations. Like, here, when's your birthday?"

"I don't know."

Ben stared at her. "How do you know how old you are?"

"I know Evie's about a year older than me." Mal shrugged, which was an awkward movement on her back. "We don't celebrate birthdays on the Isle."

"Oh. Right." Saddened, Ben suggested, "You should pick a day. Whatever day you like best."

Mal thought for a moment, but it wasn't difficult to choose. "The day I came here."

That got a smile out of him. "August 15th...that would make you a Leo. That suits you."

He went on to explain the Zodiac, pointed out the related constellations, and showed her a few more. Mal couldn't really imagine any of the characters and objects he was supposedly tracing in the sky, but she liked hearing his voice when he talked about them. And some of them had stories behind them, epic stories of love and life and death that made her wish she could see the images herself. Initially he'd been pointing using his right hand, but at some point his fingers had tangled with Mal's and he'd had to switch to his left.

Somehow he could tell she was just humoring him, and tried a different tactic. "This is an easy one. Look at the moon, and then find the first star to the right. The bright one there, you see it?"

"Yes," Mal replied, truthfully this time.

"That's the star you wish upon."

"And the wishes come true?"

"Not necessarily. It's just a thing people do."

Mal had a healthy amount of skepticism about this star's wish-granting powers, but turned to look at him and said, "Are you wishing on it right now?"

He smiled at her. "I really don't have anything more to wish for." Her heart wrenched in her chest. "What about you?"

"I wish..." She glanced back up at the star. Of course, she wished for everything to go right tomorrow, for her mother to be pleased and forgiving about the wait, for her friends to be safe and for Ben to make it out alive. But she couldn't very well tell him any of that, so instead she said, "I wish...for nothing to ruin the life I have here in Auradon."

Ben propped himself up on his elbow. "Why would anything ruin your life here?"

Indeed, why had those particular words left her lips? Her 'life' in Auradon was a sham. The illusion would break one way or another. It had to. This wasn't who she was - her persona was as much a farce as this relationship. _It's all fake!_ she shouted internally. Because she knew, suddenly, she was convincing herself. That wish hadn't been a lie; it had been a slip, an unconscious admission.

"If - if my mother escapes..." she answered quietly, her voice unsteady. _When. When my mother escapes._ That event would destroy the most desperate wish of her heart, the one she had inadvertently just revealed.

Ben, concerned, started to assure her that that would never happen, but became even more alarmed when he saw tears form in her eyes.

"Mal?" Mal covered her face so he couldn't see her cry, but it was too late. He gently pushed her hands away and pulled her close to him, rubbing her back. "I've never seen you cry before."

"I'm _not_. I _don't_ ," she hiccuped. God, she sounded pathetic. Mal couldn't believe she'd been reduced to this, but the thought of betraying him was bringing fresh waves of tears.

"You're safe here, Mal, you know that, right?" Ben said, his voice muffled by her hair. "I would never let anything happen to you."

That just made it worse. She didn't need the reminder that despite everything, Ben was still forced to love her and would have his heart broken and wouldn't be able to do anything about it -

Except _she_ could do something about it. Mal pulled away from him, still doing her best to hide her face. "Ben...I think I want to go back." She'd reduced her voice to a whisper so the shakiness wasn't obvious.

"Yeah, of course." He stood and helped her up. "I'll walk you there. But...are you sure you want to be alone right now?"

"Evie will be there," Mal guessed. It didn't really matter. She wasn't going to her room. "I'm actually going to find a bathroom to clean up first. You should go without me."

"I can - "

"Please."

Ben was quite unhappy with this arrangement, reaching up to wipe a few tears away. "If that's what you want. But I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Yes. You will." Her tone was perhaps firmer than necessary, but she was determined. She hugged him goodbye and made sure he walked back the way they came before rushing to the nearest door of Auradon Prep. From there, she sneaked into the kitchen and let a couple of tears fall into a mixing bowl.

* * *

Evie kicked off the covers with a quiet but frustrated sigh. Mal had come back not long before smelling like vanilla, but Evie had already been trying to sleep - after all, she would need to be up at five in the morning to get herself and her fashion-oblivious roommate ready for the coronation.

She'd given up, though. Her mind raced and it made her heart race until she was wishing she could actually run a race to get all of these unpleasant feelings out of her system. She silently got out of bed and left the room, making sure to close the door softly behind her - though she was fairly certain Mal wasn't sleeping either.

A short walk later found her in front of Doug and Harry's room. She knocked a few times before Doug answered.

"Evie?" It was nearly midnight, which explained the surprised look on his face. It quickly turned to embarrassment. "These aren't really my pajamas. I was just borrowing some of Harry's because mine are - "

"Relax, sweetie." The cartoon knights on his clothes were the least of her worries. "Sorry to wake you up."

"No, it's okay. Harry's still sleeping though, so..." He closed the door behind him and grinned. "I've never been out past curfew before. This is kind of exciting."

He was so innocent, and much too sweet for the likes of her. "I love you," she said suddenly.

Doug froze, eyes wide. "You...do?" Evie nodded, a little uncertain when he didn't immediately say it back. "Wow, I never expected...is that why you came here right now?"

"I...I think so. I just couldn't sleep without telling you."

He smiled widely, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you too, Evie. I'm so lucky to be your boyfriend."

As comfortable as she was in his embrace, she pulled away and put her hands on her hips. "Are you kidding? I don't deserve you, Doug. I'm the lucky one."

"I'm definitely not kidding. You're smart and beautiful and fun and so completely out of my league."

"Oh really? And you don't think being kind and caring and _smarter_ puts you completely out of mine?"

" _You're_ the amazing one."

"And _you're_ perfect."

"This is the best fight I've ever had." He started laughing, and Evie joined in - both quietly, of course, so as not to alert anyone they were out of their rooms.

When their giggling tapered off, Evie rested a hand on his cheek and smiled softly. "Sit with me at the coronation tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, where else would I go?"

"Just making sure." At least she could give him a head start on hiding before the barrier was broken and villains came pouring into Auradon. "Good night, Doug. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night, Evie." He kissed her quickly. "I love you."

 _I hope you still love me tomorrow._

* * *

Carlos wasn't even trying to sleep. Dude was curled up next to him on his bed. The dog rested his head on Carlos's stomach, eyes closed. Carlos stroked his fur and whispered quietly, "Hey buddy...you're such a good boy. You really are." Dude didn't stir. The boy continued to pet him, unhappily wondering if this was the last time.

"We have to get you somewhere safe, though. Somewhere far away, where my mom will never find you. She'd do such horrible things to you, Dude, and then she'd kill you. I can't protect you from her. I can't even protect myself." His eyes burned. "She only keeps me around because she needs a slave. But who knows, maybe she'll find a better one once they take over Auradon and then she'll kill me too." He had to stop whispering to take a shaky breath. "I'm so scared, Dude. I'm scared of how much she's going to hurt me. I'm scared I won't live through it, one of these days. She just keeps getting worse."

Tears were rolling down his cheeks. "And I don't even know why she hates me so much. I've always done everything she ever told me to do. I try so hard to keep her happy but she beats me anyway and I don't know what the punishment's for."

Carlos looked over at his sleeping roommate. "Why did Jafar have to die? Why couldn't it have been her? Then I could keep you here with me. And I wouldn't be so afraid. I've gotten used to living here, buddy. Nobody hits me. I can eat as much as I want. I get a bed. I can sleep for hours and hours without someone kicking me awake. I get to learn about engineering like I actually have a future. None of this is going to last."

Dude jerked in his sleep, like he was running after something. The movement brought Carlos back to Earth. "It can't last. God, if we don't pull this off she'll kill me within the day. I won't see next week. There isn't another option, Dude. I'm so sorry. You've been such a good friend to me...that's why this is goodbye."

* * *

Contrary to Carlos's belief, Jay was wide awake. He couldn't make out what Carlos was muttering to Dude, but he doubted it was for him to hear anyway.

Jay had had his last tourney practice today. Saying goodbye to the team was not an option, not that it would've helped. The team was the first time he felt like he had a real purpose, a celebrated purpose. Before that, stealing and fighting always came easily to him but that never made anyone happy. He would have never earned a place for himself at any table on the Isle with that skill set. Now he had people who looked up to him and made him better. He had more than one friend, a mentor, and a constant source of pride.

Taking that away was hurting him more than he had thought it would. What was he supposed to go back to when the smoke cleared? His father was dead. His mother didn't want anything to do with him. Carlos was in love with Mal and could hardly think about anything else. He was going to be all alone.

 _Well, if we don't succeed then we get sent back to the Isle, where we'll die. I guess alone is better than dead._

But what if they didn't try at all? What if no one ever had to know they'd been planning on stealing the wand?

Jay scoffed at such a stupid idea. Mal was probably ready to kill Ben all by herself at this point. Evie, as much as she liked Doug, was probably not going to get the castle she dreamed about unless she and the other villains took one by force. Carlos would do whatever Mal told him to, and that girl would never dream of disobeying her mother's orders. One way or another, this was going down. And Jay was going down with it.

* * *

 **I'm sure it seems like these chapters are dragging...unfortunately the Mal/Evie/Carlos/Jay format I have prevents me from moving certain parts along at the rate I want to without losing some important information. The next chapter is the one I think you've all been waiting for!**


	20. Let's Set It Off!

**This was such a long time coming. I know. I wanted it to be perfect. It's such an important chapter. Here it is!**

* * *

Mal didn't even complain about having to wake up at six o'clock for a ten a.m. ceremony so Evie could get both of their hair and makeup done on time. She sat motionless on Evie's desk chair while her roommate fussed over her curly locks, watching in the mirror as her bedhead slowly transformed into an updo worthy of a princess.

Evie was unnaturally quiet too, but they both had good reasons. Approximately three million things could go wrong. Neither of them had gotten much sleep. They were both afraid. Mal wondered if Evie was having second thoughts, too.

While Evie swirled a brush around in blush, Mal suddenly asked, "What are you going to do about Doug?"

The blue-haired girl froze. "Um...nothing," she stuttered.

"What will you do if something happens to him?"

Evie swept the brush across Mal's cheek, frowning. "I haven't thought about it." She was lying, Mal knew, although she wasn't concealing nearly as much as Mal was, so the younger girl let it go.

"I hope he makes it out okay."

Startled, Evie's eyes met Mal's for a second, and softened. "So do I." Then she hurriedly returned to the job at hand. "But I won't endanger our mission over him. I promise."

 _Neither will I,_ Mal thought sadly. She would have to hope and trust that Ben made it out on his own...even though he was likely to be one of Maleficent's top targets. "I believe you."

Evie helped Mal into her dress and then stepped back to admire her work. "I know you don't care, Mal, but you really do look gorgeous."

"Thanks to you." She couldn't help admiring herself in the mirror. Her dress gave her a figure she'd never known she had. Her eyes stood out, bright green against the lavender of her hair and the fabric she wore. Her rosy lips and cheeks brought color and life to her pale skin. Ben had claimed she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen - right now Mal felt like she might be. What a strange thought, just before the fall of a kingdom.

She waited for Evie to dress up as well before both girls picked up their clutches and headed down to Auradon Prep's foyer. A small crowd of students had already gathered there, dressed in their finest. This was the beginning of the very short journey to the Grand Arthurian Court. Ben and Mal would make the trip in a horse-drawn carriage, and the rest of the students would be transported by a more modern coach bus. Outside the doors, Mal could hear the excited hum of citizens who had traveled from all corners of Auradon to witness the event. From the videos of the last coronation, Mal knew they would line the road all the way from here to the Court, cheering for their king-to-be.

Heads turned and jaws dropped as Mal and Evie descended. The volume dropped to a mesmerized whisper. A few rogue paparazzi had sneaked into the school's foyer. Their cameras appeared out of nowhere, blinding Mal with flashing lights. Servants jumped into action, forcing them outside to wait with the rest of the kingdom's population. A little unsure of her footing on the stairs, Mal hung onto Evie's arm until her sight returned to normal.

Carlos and Jay struggled to push through the mob of people trying to get a look at Mal. The two of them were in suits, also picked out by Evie, and they looked extremely uncomfortable in them. Carlos, for whatever reason, was so focused on Mal he hardly even blinked. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it quickly; Mal had a suspicion that was due to Jay's firm grasp on his shoulder. But she had far more important things to worry about than whatever nonsense comment he was going to make.

"You guys look nice," offered Jay. "The three of us should try and get on the same bus."

Evie nodded, and while they discussed their travel plans, Lonnie bounced onto the scene.

"Mal! Wow, look at you!" she gushed. "And Evie! Geez, Mal might be Ben's girlfriend but you're the real beauty queen here. You both look amazing!" The four of them awkwardly complimented Lonnie on her cherry-blossom patterned dress, temporarily forgetting how to interact with people not taking part in a nefarious plot. "I'm so excited. Look, I'm shaking. I've never been to such a huge event before! I guess you guys haven't either, huh? The two of you look really spiffy!" she added to Carlos and Jay.

A loud cheer went up, and they all turned to the stairs to see Ben at the top, waving at his fellow students. He had on his prince's crown - a small, unremarkable gold band - and a royal blue suit with golden trimmings, complete with white gloves and shined black shoes. Several hands pushed Mal to the bottom of the stairs to greet him. Her heart thudded in her chest and she couldn't help the tiny, nervous smile that graced her face when she noted how incredibly handsome he looked - _perfect_ , she thought wryly. Once his gaze fell on her, it never left. His hand dropped. Time slowed down as he came towards her.

"I must be the luckiest person alive," he said softly. Mal's blush deepened when he reached for the hand not holding her clutch and leaned down to kiss it. The students who could see them changed their cheers into obnoxiously loud 'Awww!'s.

They threaded through the throng arm in arm, greeting the people they passed by. Once they got to the doors, an even more tightly packed group awaited them before they could climb onto the carriage. These were mostly adults - old enough to have been around during a time before the Isle of the Lost. Most of their smiles faltered when they saw Mal, though they generally tried to hide their uncertainty.

A servant helped Mal into the carriage, and then Ben. A few others held back the crowd, many of whom were insisting Ben kiss their babies or touch their hands. Instead, he settled in next to Mal with a sigh as the carriage began moving. "And that was the easy part." Her anxiety had lowered the threshold for what made her laugh. Nonetheless, hearing it helped Ben relax a little. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm not sure there's a word for how stunning you look."

Mal mumbled bashfully, "Evie did a really good job. I actually feel...pretty."

"Pretty doesn't even come close," stated Ben. She felt the tension thicken between them - and that feeling again, like they wanted nothing more than to kiss each other, like doing anything else just didn't make sense. His hand by her ear trailed to her cheek and his eyes dropped to her lips. Mal was fairly certain she wasn't breathing. She shifted, just a little, towards him...and he dropped his hand, turning away to wave at his cheering subjects. His wide grin towards the crowd confused her - it was as if nothing had passed between them. "I actually have a favor to ask."

Mal swallowed hard. "Sure," she said. "What is it?"

He fished something small out of his pocket and showed it to her. A golden ring, with his family crest emblazoned on it. "On the way to his coronation is when my dad proposed to my mom. And I'm not doing that - " he added quickly at her shocked expression. " - right now. But even though this is technically part of the outfit, he wasn't wearing this when he was crowned king; she was. It'd mean a lot to me if you did, too."

"Oh. Wow." She was hesitant about accepting it. Instead of the promise of a future that Ben no doubt meant it to symbolize, she could only see it as the beginning of the horde of treasure she would accumulate as one of her mother's minions. But she couldn't very well say no; he was so earnest. "That's really...sweet." Mal cringed at herself, but placed her hand in his so he could slide it onto her first finger.

"Perfect," he declared with a grin. She couldn't help but smile back. It felt nice, knowing she was his - if just for a moment.

A moment that was ending very soon.

"I have something for you, too. Probably not as nice." Mal had been avoiding this, dreading it, but the Court was in sight and she had to do it soon. The only thing worse than losing him was breaking him, and she needed to spare them both that pain. Out of her purse, she pulled a slightly crushed clear plastic bag of cookies. "I made these for you. You know, in case this ends up being really long and you get hungry..." It sounded incredibly lame out loud.

For a second, Ben's brow wrinkled, but he was smiling again so quickly Mal wasn't even sure she'd really seen it. "Feels like my birthday all over again." His words seemed measured behind the joke. Mal laughed uncomfortably while she handed him the bag. "Will you split one with me right now?"

Mal shrugged, taken a little off guard. "Sure." Maybe the anti-love potion in them would cure her actual love, she hoped, though she knew true love rarely allowed any magic to mess with it. He broke one of the more intact cookies in half and handed her a piece.

She barely registered taking a bite - instead she watched him eat, looking for the exact second he stopped loving her. It didn't take long for them to finish. Ben licked a few crumbs off his top lip as the carriage came to a halt. "Delicious. You've got a real talent for this, Mal."

"Thanks." She didn't feel any different, as expected, but it looked like the potion was taking a few minutes to work on him, too.

Lumiere, one of Ben's family's servants, greeted them at the entrance to the Court and helped them out of the carriage. "Prince Benjamin - it is good to see you. Miss Mal - careful, your dress is caught under your feet."

With an embarrassing amount of assistance, Mal eventually made it onto the ground. This was where she separated from Ben for the last time. He gave her a wink as he started on another cookie. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck, Ben," Mal said sincerely. _And goodbye._ It was her last chance to hug him, kiss him, tell him she loved him - but she did none of that. The potion had likely begun to work now, and she had to accept that this was truly over. So she watched him go to meet his parents, and the family left for a room off the main auditorium to wait. Resigned to the destiny that awaited her, Mal followed a servant to her seat.

* * *

For the first time since they started dating, Doug had been speechless upon seeing Evie. He was slowly gaining it back, though it disappeared again when she kissed him. Evie latched onto Doug and brought him into the bus that Jay and Carlos had boarded, much to their dismay. She could understand that; she also didn't want to pretend to be excited with the other Auradon Prep students. But if Doug broke up with her after this - or worse, didn't survive - she planned on making sure she spent every last minute with him.

She sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder, quietly watching the scenery go by. Carlos and Jay, equally subdued, took seats nearby. Doug looked between the three of them with a raised eyebrow. "Everything okay?" her boyfriend asked her finally. The rest of the bus was filled with the happy chatter of other kids so he had to raise his voice a little.

"Yes." Evie snuggled closer, encircling his arm with hers. "Just tired."

"Maybe from sneaking around the boys' dorm at two in the morning?" Doug suggested cheekily. Evie playfully slapped his arm in response.

"What were you sneaking around there for, Evie?" Jay asked, a little amused.

Carlos smirked. "Why'd you only make it to Doug's room at two? Busy before then?"

To her surprise, Doug turned very pink. "Please don't talk about her like that. She came to tell me she loved me. And I love her too." He tightened his hold on her. "I'd like to ask you guys to be more respectful."

That shut Jay and Carlos up. Doug wasn't necessarily smaller than Carlos, but he was most certainly not in a physical state where he could confidently stand up to them without fear of a swift and painful retaliation. Evie was a embarrassed at how much he chose to reveal about their relationship, but she also never expected him to be such a...knight in shining armor?

"Sorry," Jay muttered. It had been a running joke for him on the Isle, though it hadn't stopped him from using her to ward off his feelings for Carlos. Evie supposed he wasn't wrong, though the way her life turned out hadn't always been her choice. This was clearly the first time Jay realized it wasn't okay. He seemed equally taken aback that Doug would dare order him around, however politely. Still, when his eyes met Evie's, she saw the warning there. _You can't seriously love him. He doesn't know anything about you. And you're about to ruin the lives of everyone who lives here._

But she did love him. This adorable, nerdy son-of-a-dwarf had seen in her what nobody else ever did. He believed in her. She couldn't help her feelings.

Worried that Jay and Carlos appeared emotionless again, Doug whispered to his girlfriend, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." She kissed his cheek. "They're just tired, too."

"Oh. At least there's a break between the coronation and reception. You can all take a nap." He patted her hand affectionately. "No one's really paying attention to this part anyway - it's probably going to be really boring." She highly doubted that.

The bus rolled up to the Grand Arthurian Court, which looked just as magnificent as she'd imagined from the floor plans. Turrets capped with Auradon's flag cornered the gray stone building. A twenty foot tall wooden door, wide enough to fit two cars side by side, had been propped open to let people stream in. Blue and gold banners with Ben's family crest were draped across the entrance. Inside, the foyer was paneled with a rich cherry red wood. A bar on each end of the foyer served the attendees drinks next to unused coat checks. Several doors opened into the cavernous auditorium, which resembled a concert hall. An upper and lower balcony overshadowed the main level. Evie, Doug, Jay, and Carlos found their way to four seats on the main floor, which were as close to an emergency exit as Evie could get.

From there, time started moving in skips and hops. She felt strangely disconnected from her body - as if she was both there and not there. She was aware of her surroundings but at the same time minutes would speed by without her realizing it. She noted Adam and Belle getting their pictures taken with Fairy Godmother at the end of the main aisle that bisected the auditorium. A bell jar had been placed on a pedestal, which in turn rested on a low stage in the front of the room. It held the coveted wand - out of the vault at last. Guests milled about, finding seats and exchanging pleasantries. Normally, Evie would have been mentally reviewing and critiquing each outfit she saw, but at that moment they all flashed by in blurs of color. Doug tried to engage her in conversation a couple times, but she could hardly hear him over the roar in her head. The seats filled up. Royalty and nobility of every level, from Auradon and beyond, sat around them.

The lights dimmed. A silence descended as King Adam began to speak. He narrated the history of his time as king and spoke about the legacy he hoped to leave. Then he went on to highlight Ben's accomplishments to date - of which there were many Evie never knew, including implementation of a health and nutrition class in all middle schools and increased restrictions on demolishing historically significant buildings. He listed the ways in which Ben would preserve his legacy and protect the kingdom. Evie knew from Mal that Ben and his father were in the middle of a long fight about the Isle, but it was still obvious that Adam was proud of his son. She wondered what that felt like.

All too soon, Ben appeared at the entrance to the auditorium. A great rustling was heard as everyone turned to see him. He walked slowly down the aisle, his head held high. Evie's heart raced when he approached the three adults. Belle smiled at him as she relieved him of the prince's crown. He knelt in front of his father, who took off his own crown and placed it on his head amid thunderous applause. Fairy Godmother lifted the clear glass lid of the bell jar. Only because she knew what was going to happen, Evie saw Mal stand from her seat at the front.

As if zapped back to life, Evie grabbed Doug suddenly. "Go. Get out of here," she hissed.

Confused, he shushed her. "What are you talking about? Fairy Godmother's about to - "

"I said go!" Jay had grabbed her, and was trying to slap a hand over her mouth. The people around them began to stare. She struggled to be heard. "Leave from that door and hide - "

"Shut up, Evie!" Jay hissed. It didn't matter. The attention of everyone in the room was abruptly called to the front, where Mal had summoned Fairy Godmother's wand. It flew through the air towards her.

* * *

 _Hark, wand, to my command_  
 _Fly, fly into my hand_

Carlos didn't have time to deal with Evie's breakdown. Mal needed him. He barreled through the seats in his row, stepping on toes all the way. With a chance look back, he saw Jay pulling Evie along behind him. The three of them ran towards Mal, who was standing frozen with the wand in her hand.

The crowd around them gasped and pointed. Either the gravity of the situation hadn't hit them yet, or they were too petrified to leave their seats. Adam, Belle, and Fairy Godmother were trying various placating gestures, and Ben was so pale he looked like he might faint at any second.

"Mal," Fairy Godmother said slowly. "Please give the wand back to me."

Carlos could see a slight tremor running through her whole body. "I can't."

Wasn't she supposed to bring down the barrier? Why wasn't she doing anything? Carlos tried to get a good look at her face, but he was too far behind her. Evie and Jay exchanged nervous glances too.

A choked sound escaped from Ben's throat. It sounded like her name. _Too bad, loverboy,_ Carlos thought. _She's all mine now._

He didn't expect Mal's reply, though. "I have to do this, Ben. I have to free her. I'm...I'm sorry."

Mal had never apologized for anything in her life, Carlos was sure of it. While that had shocked him, the shocking part for the majority of the room was _I have to free her._ Quickly realizing what that meant, the entire auditorium erupted into chaos. People screamed and jumped out of their chairs, making a mad rush for the doors. Dresses were torn and shoes were lost as the attendees scrambled to leave the presence of the girl who turned out to be Maleficent's daughter, through and through. The three other villains huddled behind Mal, but they were well in front of the mob and didn't feel its press.

Ben found his voice again, and raised it to be heard over the ruckus. "You don't have to. You have a choice. You're better than this, Mal. You're a good person."

"I'm not!" she shouted, her grip tightening around the wand. "I'm evil. I always have been. You don't know me!" Her voice cracked.

"I don't," he admitted softly, sadly, "But I do know that much. If you were truly evil, you would've used that wand already." He was right. He knew it, Mal knew it, Carlos knew it. Something was holding her back. "You can make the right choice, Mal. The one you want to make. You're happy in Auradon, aren't you? Don't let your mother ruin the life you have here."

That resonated with Mal for some reason. Her arm dropped about an inch. Adam, Belle, and Fairy Godmother relaxed just as much, but they were still lying in wait to take the drastic measures that would likely be needed when Ben failed.

"Mal - " Jay's voice was smaller than Carlos had ever heard it. "Are you going to do it?"

"Jay," Ben addressed him, sensing his reluctance. "You're better than this too. You all are. You're part of a team here, Jay, part of a family. Don't throw that away." The word 'family' clearly pained Jay. "And Evie, you've got an incredible career ahead of you in Auradon. Is that something you'll have if the villains are freed?" Evie looked down to avoid his gaze. "Carlos - "

"Don't, Ben." Carlos interrupted. He liked the guy. He was a good teammate and he'd probably make a good king - but he'd had Mal for too long. And he just didn't understand. "You don't get it. You never will. We don't have a choice."

"We do have a choice." This was spoken so quietly Carlos thought it was Mal at first, but further investigation revealed Evie as the speaker. "We could leave them there." She was still staring at the ground. Mal turned just her head to look at her, not nearly as surprised as she should have been.

" _No we can't_ ," Carlos insisted. "Do you think they'll stop plotting to get out? What happens to us when they do?"

"I...I don't care," said Mal in wonder, as if she were learning something new. "I...don't want to help them." Her eyes searched for Ben's, but he was pretty determinedly not looking at her.

"We don't owe them anything," Jay added hesitantly. He glanced up at Ben. "We owe him everything." Ben's previously desperate expression softened slightly.

 _"That's easy for you to say! Your dad is dead!"_ yelled Carlos. His best friend stared, shocked and angry, back at him. But Carlos was beyond propriety. He could feel his hands shaking. " _My mom is still alive!"_

"You're safe here - " Ben started.

"I'm never safe. _I'm never going to be safe._ She's going to come here and she's going to KILL ME." Red-hot anger - or was it fear? - clouded his vision. This plan _could not_ fail. He screamed and lunged for the wand, startling Mal into letting it go briefly. Adam and Fairy Godmother leapt from the stage to grab it for themselves, but Mal regained some control so only she and Carlos had a good handle on it. Carlos continued to claw and fight and scream what turned out to be a coherent phrase - "YOU HAVE TO! PLEASE! SHE'LL KILL ME!"

"Carlos, _no_!" Mal shouted, and Jay and Evie each restrained whatever body part they could grab. It was too late. With the sound of a dull explosion, a burst of light erupted from the wand and shot through the nearest window. Shards of multi-colored glass fell to the floor. The remaining guests, of which there were many due to the bottleneck the doors created, screamed again.

Carlos had ended up in Jay's arms. He was sobbing hysterically, but the familiarity of Jay's embrace was calming him down. "It's over, buddy. I won't let anything happen to you anymore. I'm sorry I ever did. You really are safe, here, with me," the older boy whispered in Carlos's ear.

Fairy Godmother beckoned for the wand from a distressed, confused Mal. "The four of you will face _serious_ consequences for this," Carlos heard her say. "If it was an option, we would send you back to the Isle - "

"No..." Carlos moaned, his knees losing their weight-bearing capacity. Jay reacted quickly enough to hold him up.

"You can send us back," Jay argued. "But not Carlos." Carlos hugged him tightly. Jay had always protected him.

"Well, we won't - that would be death sentence - but we have to create some sort of deterrent so this doesn't happen again!"

Ben was strangely quiet on the matter. For having resolved what could have been a terrible end to his kingdom, he appeared supremely unhappy - he'd used up all his fight to convince them to abandon their plain, and was now overcome with the weight of the betrayal. His father had a righteous frown on his face, and Belle gave them all disappointed looks.

Before Fairy Godmother could elaborate further, Evie pointed up at the broken window, gasping. Green smoke was roiling in, growing thicker and darker as more and more billowed through the shattered panes. The cloud hung ominously above the stage for a moment. "She's here," whispered Evie.

Indeed, the mass descended and began to take shape. Adam hid Ben and Belle behind him. Fairy Godmother pointed the wand at the settling smoke. Inside the swirling cloud, a familiar silhouette was forming. It cleared to reveal Maleficent, free at last.

* * *

Jay's heartbeat skidded to a stop as Mal's mother pointed her scepter at the royal family and Fairy Godmother. All of their movements stopped, even blinking. It was as if cardboard cutouts had been erected in their place. With another sweep of her arm, the doors of the auditorium banged shut, leaving dozens of terrified people stranded inside. They pressed up against the closed doors and wall, trying to get as far from Maleficent as possible.

Had he been capable of rational thought, Jay would've connected the uncontrolled magic from the wand and the break in the island's barrier that allowed Maleficent out. He was, however, preoccupied with the overwhelming urge to run and hide.

The pale-faced Queen of Darkness looked upon the four traitors, unimpressed, and then extended her hand. "Wand."

Mal hesitated, and a crease formed on Maleficent's brow.

" _Wand."_

Mal looked back at Jay, Carlos, and Evie. Even though he was more afraid than he'd ever been in his life, he gave her the tiniest nod - he was with her. To the end.

She turned back to her mother. "No."

For a second, Maleficent appeared genuinely perplexed. Then she laughed. "No? Are you sure you want to defy _me?_ Has living here made you forgetful, brat?" She jerked her wrist and the wand flew from Mal's grasp.

Reflexively, Jay let go of Carlos and jumped, intercepting it mid-flight. He hit the ground rolling and scrambled to his feet. "She said no."

Again, that confused look that would have been almost comical if it wasn't for the barely-contained fury brewing just beneath the surface. "Jafar's spawn, of all people. Your father died a miserable, sniveling coward. And so will you, along with the rest of these peasants."

Her finger pointed at Jay, but before the spell could hit him, Carlos had jumped in front of him with a loud, "NO!"

"Carlos!" Jay cried. The boy had been frozen, just as Ben and his family had.

"Are all of you imbeciles going to stand in my way? Do you need a demonstration to _remind_ you - " Maleficent's aim was true this time, and Mal was lifted into the air, apparently by an invisible hand around her throat. She choked and kicked, her eyes bulging. " - that I have no qualms about killing even my daughter. The rest of you are as meaningless as ants."

"Stop!" cried Evie. Without magic, the only thing she could do was barrel into Maleficent so her concentration was lost. The two women fell to the ground, and Maleficent's grip on Mal released. Mal dropped hard onto the floor, gasping for air.

"Stupid girl!" thundered Maleficent, no longer playing games. She lifted Evie with that same invisible force and threw her into the adjacent wall. Evie crashed, slid down to the ground, and didn't move again.

"E...Evie!" croaked Mal. Jay moved to check on her. Suddenly, every muscle in his body tensed and refused to relax. He couldn't open his mouth or turn his head or speak. Maleficent, satisfied that no one would pester her, approached Mal.

"Your foolish peons are going to watch you die. Gruesomely. And then, I will kill everyone in this room one by one - and _relish_ it," she said. The wand slipped out of Jay's grasp and into the villainess's waiting hand. "What do you think...shall I skin you first, or disembowel you?"

"You _won't_ destroy my home," Mal responded. Her voice was still hoarse, but there was a fire in it. "You won't kill anyone here. I won't let you."

Maleficent laughed maniacally. "And how are you going to stop me?"

Mal muttered something Jay couldn't quite catch, but it didn't sound like English. Her eyes glowed a bright green. Then her body started to grow - her skin scaled over, wings sprouted from her back, and her face elongated into a snout. A tail shot out of her back, knocking over a few chairs. Her teeth enlarged and sharpened, and talons formed from her fingernails. In seconds, a twenty foot long, purple-hued dragon occupied the spot where Mal had been. Its bright green eyes narrowed at Maleficent.

The witch smiled. "I see we will make this interesting. Very well." She pocketed the wand but then discarded her robes and raised her arms. Green smoke rose around her, and her head rose nearly as fast due to her lengthening neck. Her transformation unfortunately resulted in a larger dragon - black like tar, with fangs the size of Jay's forearm.

Mal roared and launched herself at Maleficent, sinking her teeth into her mother's neck. The black dragon flapped her wings and lifted herself off the ground, just to slam back down on top of Mal. A swipe from her foreleg opened gashes in Mal's belly - bleeding, but not very deep. Mal tossed her head back, opened her mouth, and let a large fireball loose into Maleficent's face. The older dragon seemed to grin, as if laughing at Mal for trying to use fire on a dragon.

Jay could feel the heat from the fire, which had caught on a few of the cloth chairs. Worse, with bulky dragons fighting, he and Carlos and the petrified royal family stood a good chance of being knocked over without the ability to move out of the way.

Mal had gnashed and bitten her way out from under Maleficent, but was still taking a beating. She lunged at her mother, trying to run her into a wall, but Maleficent dipped her head and bit down on one of Mal's legs. She whipped her neck and sent Mal flying across the room, dangerously close to the unfortunate guests who hadn't been able to get out. Their screams had become part of the background noise. Most of them were able to run or duck out of the way of the injured dragon.

With another flap of her wings, Maleficent gained enough momentum to tackle Mal further into the wall. Banners and decorations fell from the ceiling as the earth-shattering collision rocked the whole building. Mal chanced a bite at Maleficent's wing - the black dragon roared in pain and reared back enough for Mal to escape. She was bleeding freely, one of her wings bent out of shape. Still, she refused to give in. She used Maleficent's move against her, flying into her and knocking her to the ground. Mal slashed at Maleficent's face, further angering her mother. With brute strength, Maleficent was able to roll them over and start hacking at Mal's body with tooth and talon. Mal fought back pitifully, her movements weakening. Maleficent flew up as high as she could go in the auditorium to drop like a brick onto Mal, but the purple dragon just barely rolled to avoid the attack. Undeterred, Maleficent grabbed Mal's neck in her jaws and threw her into the back wall again. The smaller dragon's head and back hit the stone first - her eyelids drooped and she did not try to get up.

Jay watched in horror as the nearly unconscious dragon morphed back into the girl. The wounds apparently transferred - Mal was badly injured. Maleficent, still in dragon form, walked towards her on all fours.

"It appears you've chosen to burn, brat," said the dragon, its voice deep and dark. Mal stirred. Her lips moved just a little, and then she fell limp.

The fire in Maleficent's belly burned bright through her skin. It traveled up her throat and into her mouth.

"MALEFICENT!"

The dragon's head snapped towards the source of the noise - Fairy Godmother, freed with Mal's last spell. She'd summoned her wand from Maleficent's robes as well and pointed it at the villain.

"You're _finished_."

A bright light from the wand tip enveloped the dragon, who thrashed and roared ineffectively against it. It grew smaller and smaller - and so did she. But it didn't stop at a human size. The capsule of light kept shrinking until it was only a few inches in diameter, and then it disappeared. In it's spot - a lizard. It skittered away, but Fairy Godmother hunted it down and trapped it in the empty bell jar.

The screams died down. Jay was able to move again. His first thought was Carlos - the other boy was unharmed. "Get Evie," he instructed. "I'm getting Mal."

Now that the doors were open, the terrorized audience fled the scene. Jay ran to Mal, whose eyes were fluttering open and closed. "Mal! Hey, look at me. You did it, Mal. You beat her."

Her voice was weak. "Ben...where is...Ben..." Jay looked around for the king. Ben was being ushered out by his parents, presumably to a location not still smoldering from a fire. Jay saw him glance despairingly at Mal's broken body before he was pushed out of the room.

* * *

 **This is not the last chapter! That would be a terrible ending.**


	21. Start A Chain Reaction

Mal woke up in her room. Her body ached dully, but the agony she'd felt before she'd passed out was mostly gone. She found she could move her fingers without any pain - then her arms, then her legs.

"You're up." Evie's voice came from her left. Mal turned her head slowly to see the condition of her roommate. She seemed well enough. She was sitting at her desk, repairing the tears in her coronation dress.

"Are you okay?" Mal asked. She remembered the thud Evie's body had made against the wall and tried not to wince.

"Pretty much. Fairy Godmother healed me up. You too." That made a lot of sense - they'd both been injured badly. Mal gingerly sat up, still expecting something to hurt sharply, and was relieved to find nothing did. "I had a concussion though, so she told me not to sleep for a while, just in case."

"Where is she now?"

"Out on the shore putting a temporary patch on the barrier. She said she'll fix it tomorrow." How big of a hole had they created? How long had it been open?

"Did anyone else get out?"

"I don't know."

She didn't want to think about that anymore. "How are Carlos and Jay?"

"They're okay. They came here for a while, too, but now they're holed up in their room." She didn't have to say more. Mal was sure all four of them shared the sentiment of not wanting to face anyone they'd almost killed that day.

Mal had been avoiding the question she both dreaded and needed to know the answer to. "What's going to happen to us?"

Evie didn't appear to want to discuss it either. "There's going to be a trial."

Mal's stomach sank. What did that mean? What would be the worst outcome? Frankly, were there any good outcomes? Fairy Godmother had said she wouldn't send them back to the Isle of the Lost, but that was before Maleficent had shown up. Mal couldn't imagine standing before Auradon after what she had unleashed on them. This kingdom would never forgive her. And more than likely, the person passing judgment would be -

"Did Ben get hurt?" She failed at keeping the urgency out of her voice, but Evie, still sewing, didn't notice.

"No, I think the whole family made it out fine. He came to see you."

Despite the situation, Mal's heart fluttered. "He did?" He wasn't under the love spell anymore. He had every reason to hate her.

"Yeah. You were hurt really badly, Mal. We were afraid you wouldn't make it." For the first time, Evie looked up, biting her bottom lip. "There were photographers and reporters trying to see if you were still alive. Some of them were already reporting that you were dead." Her chin was quivering. "They only left when Ben ordered them to. I've never seen him so angry."

Mal was touched, though she had no right to be. A glint on her nightstand caught her eye - Ben's ring. He'd been here, and someone had removed it from her finger, but he hadn't taken it back. On closer inspection, there was a little bit of blood on the band. "Where is he?"

"Him and his family are waiting for Fairy Godmother to come back so they can finish the coronation somewhere else, probably privately. That was a while ago, though, so they might already be doing that."

The sun was just above the horizon, Mal noted. She must have been unconscious for a few hours. "Did he say anything about the trial?"

Evie shook her head, then winced. "Not supposed to do that."

Now that she'd been sitting a while, Mal tested her ability to stand, and found her balance to be normal. Someone had changed her into pajamas. Her beautiful coronation dress had been ripped to shreds, she remembered, and covered in blood. "So what do we do? Wait?"

"Unless you've got anything better to do." Evie cut a length of thread with her teeth and tied a knot at one end.

"I wish I did." Since the moment she'd woken up, her head had been slowly re-filling with all the worries that had rattled around in there before, plus new ones. She didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. Their dorm room door was locked for a reason, though. They were safer alone, away from anyone who wished they'd never been brought over. "Have you talked to Doug?"

Evie paused in her sewing for a second. "No."

Mal didn't press any further - her tone made it clear she was struggling with that dilemma and didn't want to talk about it. Instead of continuing to pester her roommate with questions, Mal surreptitiously took the ring into the bathroom to wash it off. Before she turned on the water, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Thin, silvery scars dotted her skin. A few on her neck, from bites. One on her cheek - a gash from Maleficent's claws. Mal rolled up her sleeves and lifted her shirt. There were more of them. she wondered if Fairy Godmother was unable to heal them completely, or had left them as some kind of reminder.

After washing the ring, she stepped into the shower. Someone had wiped most of the blood off her face and exposed skin, but there were still flaky, brown patches on her legs and stomach. Her hair was packed with dried blood as well. It ran dark orange into the drain. She was used to blood - perhaps not this much, and not her own, but the scent was familiar. With a little rotting food, urine, and smoke, it would smell just like the Isle. She'd be smelling that soon enough. There didn't seem to be a way out, another option - at least, not for her.

She emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, a new plan forming in her mind. "What if you told them it was all my idea? That I forced you three to do what I said? They might give you guys more lenient sentences."

To her surprise, Evie gave her an irritated look. "Why on Earth would we do that?"

That answer seemed obvious. "You might be able to stay here. And I'm not afraid to go back to the Isle." The only thing on the island that had scared her was her mother. Last she knew, Maleficent could still be squished underfoot.

Evie 'hmph'ed. "I'm not afraid either. But that's not the point. We stay together. All we have is each other, now."

That was partially true. In stealing the wand, they had cut their ties with Auradon. In giving it back, they had betrayed their families on the Isle. They were now part of some gray in-between that belonged nowhere. "No, Evie. You guys all have futures to lose if you go back. I don't."

Dismissively, Evie replied, "That's really nice of you, Mal, but shut up and put some clothes on." _Nice._ That adjective had not been applied to her in the past.

Mal found some loose-fitting pants and a T-shirt. Her bed sheets and pillow case were bloodstained, so she took them off and settled onto an unadorned mattress. Ben's ring glinted in the light from the settling sun while she examined each tiny detail. She thought back to the moment he'd given it to her, and enjoyed the brief high that memory provided, like it was some kind of drug.

"What's that?"

Mal swiftly pocketed it. "Nothing." Her reaction was instinctual, practiced many times over the last week and probably before then. Her previous reasons for hiding her feelings was no longer valid, but new ones sprung up immediately. What would Evie say if she told her the truth? That the most hated criminal in Auradon was in love with the king? It sounded ridiculous, even in her head. Evie wouldn't understand. No one would understand. Every citizen of Auradon would laugh at the idea, and Ben would find her so hopelessly out of touch with reality he'd have Dr. Rickett put her in a straitjacket.

 _But why did he leave his ring behind?_

Maybe he'd just forgotten. Maybe the blood on it had grossed him out. Maybe he'd been in a rush and would come back for it later.

Mal's stupid, stupid heart began to beat faster in excitement. What if he was telling her she still had a chance?

Mentally she knew that was preposterous, but emotionally she was not prepared for this new feeling called 'hope'. She looked at Evie, who was still sewing away to keep her mind off of the outside world. "E," she said softly.

She'd used that nickname when they were younger and more innocent, before she'd grown out of the notion that she'd ever have any friends. Her roommate smiled, hearing that. "Yeah?"

"I'm going to the reception." Evie's smile melted into an expression of horror.

" _Are you nuts?_ "

"Maybe." Mal slipped the ring on and off her finger in her pocket. "But I need to. I can't sit here. I have to know...how things stand." She stood up. "Is there anything you want me to tell Doug, if he's there?"

For a full minute, Evie said nothing, paused half-stitch. Her brow wrinkled, and then she sighed. "He's there. I checked." She jutted her chin at her magic mirror. "I'll come with you."

Relieved, Mal nodded and changed into the dress she'd worn to greet Adam and Belle. It wasn't as formal as the event called for, but it would have to do. By the time she'd dried her hair, Evie had picked out another dress as well, sat down in front of her makeup mirror, taken off the smudged remnants of that morning's work, and gotten up again.

"Nothing?" Mal asked.

"I hope no one recognizes me," admitted the blue-haired girl. "They're all going to scream at us the minute we walk in. If anyone even lets us in."

"I think we should avoid that." Mal picked up her spell book and flipped through the pages until she found an invisibility spell. She memorized it and its counter-spell so that they could appear in the crowd without alerting everyone at the reception of their presence. Before she cast it, she locked gazes with Evie, who held her free hand.

"Let's do this."

 _Trick the eye that falls on me...and Evie_

 _Let us walk past all unseen._

Despite the improvisation, the spell worked. Mal watched Evie lose her opacity until barely a wisp of her outline remained, and she was gone. Mal only knew she was there by the hand still in hers. She couldn't see herself, either. The girls creaked open the door slightly, just enough to slip out, and closed it again hoping no one would check on them before they returned. The two guards that had been stationed outside their room - whether to keep them in or keep others out was unclear - were too focused on a game of cards to notice. After all, they'd been there for several hours by that point.

The reception was being held outside Auradon Prep. Torches had been placed all around the tourney fields and surrounding areas to light up the night, and were concentrated around a large stage and dance floor. Dozens of picnic tables peppered the lawn, and long buffet tables threatened to collapse under the weight of the food on them. Bartenders in small pavilions served beverages to attendees in lines. Other guests, hundreds of them, milled about or sat in groups at the picnic tables, talking to each other and sharing stories about that morning. Though music was playing and several people were on the dance floor, no one was dancing. They seemed far more interested in one-upping each other on the roles they had played in subduing Maleficent.

The brand-new king was up on the stage, taking on his new role beautifully. A decorated chair had been provided for him, along with two others for his mother and father, but he was not using it. Instead, he stood to greet still-arriving guests of high station. Everything about him - his posture, his manner, his bows, his chivalry - embodied the title he'd earned. Mal felt a swell of pride, though she hadn't done anything to help him get to this point. Adam and Belle were missing, likely out in the crowd somewhere. Guards stood at Ben's side with their hands on sword hilts. Mal didn't know if this was because of the chance that other villains had escaped, or if this was what his life would be like now - constantly flanked by security.

The two girls snaked through the crowd, careful not to make contact with anyone. Once they'd gotten near the dance floor, Evie whispered, "I need to use my mirror to find Doug. Can you make me visible again?"

"Okay," Mal responded nervously. Now that she was here, she was having second thoughts. "Do you want me to come with you?"

A silent pause. "No. I think I need to talk to him alone." But it was clear Evie was having second thoughts too.

 _Ere granted invisibility_

 _Take a form all eyes can see_

She made sure to untangle her hand from Evie's and explicitly point at the other girl, whose shape began to manifest. When she was fully visible, she tensed. No one was watching.

"Wish me luck," she mumbled before pulling out her mirror. Mal shut her eyes against the sharp pain in her chest. That was one of the last things Ben had said to her.

Evie went off in one direction, and Mal in the other. She circled the stage, wondering how she could speak to Ben unnoticed. There was no other way to reach him, thanks to his guards, except for the line of royals who were waiting for a turn to congratulate him.

Mal waited until she was at the end of the line to undo her spell. The couple immediately in front of her did not turn back. She looked around to see if anyone else was staring - no one. Of course not. Nobody was expecting her - half of them thought she was dead - and they weren't on the lookout. Mal made herself as small as possible. Unfortunately, she couldn't prevent anyone from lining up behind her.

The woman to do so was a tall, pale lady in a sky blue gown. Her light blonde hair had been pulled into a loose braid and hung over one shoulder. Her icy blue eyes fell on Mal, who looked at her sideways and hoped she wouldn't alert any guards.

"You caused quite a stir today," she said instead.

Mal didn't know how to respond. Was that a joke? She nodded shamefully.

"What changed your mind?"

Who was this lady? "I...there were a lot of things."

The woman nodded. "I'm sure. You should know that you aren't alone. We all struggle with our dark side from time to time, but when we see how this hurts the people we care for, goodness always prevails in good people. Your decision to fight, for example, was very brave."

Amazed, Mal asked, "You're not angry?"

"Personally, I feel I have no right to be. I can't speak for everyone else." To demonstrate, the woman strategically placed herself in between Mal and a passing group of gossipers. Mal heard snippets of their conversation, which of course was about the horrific dragons that had destroyed the Court.

"I'm pretty sure you're the only one."

"That may be," the older lady said gravely. "If that is the case, and if your sentence allows, I welcome you and your friends to Arendelle. We are a people familiar with second chances."

Mal's first thought hinged on the word 'sentence'. It made sense that everyone knew the four of them would be tried; after all, anyone who had been there that morning would likely be demanding severe punishment. But the rest of the sentiment confused her. "You would take us in?"

"I would."

Somewhere to belong. After all of this was over, there was a place in Auradon's far kingdoms for them to start over. She didn't know exactly where Arendelle was, but she didn't care. "Thank you."

The couple in front of her had reached Ben. Nervous again, Mal his his ring in her hand. How was she going to do this? What was she going to say? What would he say? How angry would he be? How would she know if he meant for her to keep the ring? Should she show him? Her turn came too fast. As Ben encouraged the pair - a duke and duchess, as it turned out - to enjoy themselves, Mal took a step forward.

One of the guards immediately stepped in front of Ben and unsheathed his sword half-way. That was fair, Mal reasoned. Then Ben saw her. For just a moment, she felt the way she always had when he looked at her, like the rest of the world faded away. But that moment ended when he paled quickly. _Is he scared of me?_ Despite the fear he may or may not have harbored, Ben gestured for the guard to stand down. "Mal," he said, his voice losing its integrity.

"Ben," she replied warmly, before quickly correcting herself. "I mean, Your Majesty. I'm glad you're alright."

Ben cleared his throat. Something about the way he'd straightened up made him seem suddenly distant. "It's good to see that you've made a full recovery." He wasn't even looking her in the eye. "But you should probably return to your room and rest." This stiff, formal person in front of her wasn't the Ben she knew. The first second he'd seen her, _that_ was her Ben.

 _He's not 'my Ben'._

Regardless, she pressed, "I just wanted to say, I'm so sorry, for everything that I did. I hope that - "

"Queen Elsa," Ben exclaimed suddenly, as if reuniting with a long lost friend. "I'm so happy you were able to make it."

The women behind Mal stepped forward, and respectfully curtsied. Mal watched, eyes wide, as Ben turned away from her to speak to the queen. She had been dismissed, and very obviously so - his greeting to Elsa was completely contrived, and now he was acting like she was no longer present. One of the guards ushered her off stage with a stern look. Humiliated and hurt, Mal kept looking back at the king in the hope that he would call after her. He didn't. After wrapping up with Elsa, he moved on to the next person in line. Mal didn't know what to do other than search for somewhere to hide and collect her thoughts.

Unable to find a suitable place quickly, Mal cast her invisibility spell again and sat at a half-empty picnic table. A couple of students were stuffing their faces on the other end and comparing non-existent battle scars and conspiracy theories.

"I mean, Mal got _destroyed,_ " said one of them. "So that doesn't make sense. Why would she bring Maleficent here just to fight her and lose?"

"Maybe she didn't know she would lose. She seems pretty cocky," suggested another, fork tapping against his chin.

"No, I think Ross's explanation is the only one that works. Maleficent came in, told Mal she wasn't getting half the kingdom to rule or whatever, and Mal went apeshit."

"That's not what happened," argued another.

"How do you know what happened? I couldn't hear anything over the screaming."

"I was pretty close. I saw the four of them playing keep-away with the wand, and Maleficent got pissed."

"So we're back to James's theory then?"

"Guess so."

Mal was only half-listening. She couldn't figure out what had occurred just now on the stage. He'd been polite, so perhaps he wasn't angry. But he couldn't just ignore the fact that she'd betrayed him - is that why he didn't want to speak to her? What was going on in his head? Part of her was convinced Ben wanted nothing to do with her and that's why he'd gotten rid of her in such a conspicuous way. But a small and frankly idiotic thought persisted, that something else was going on. That if they could just have a conversation, they would be on the same page and she could find out what it would take to earn his forgiveness, if that was possible. Then she would be able to finally feed this obstinate hope that was screwing with her decision making skills - or quash it.

A booming voice, carried by a microphone, echoed from the stage. "Please join us as the king and his lady perform the first dance of the night!" The applause of several hundred guests followed this announcement.

It took Mal a second to realize that was her cue. She was 'his lady' - this was the dance they'd been practicing for. In her rush to the dance floor, she forgot to remove the invisibility spell. Mal's heart pounded. This was the opportunity she'd been awaiting. For two and a half minutes, he couldn't send her away. She could apologize again and tell him the truth, that she had fallen -

The music started. Mal paused at the edge of the crowd that had gathered, puzzled. She'd missed her entrance. Mal pushed past some of the guests, who looked around in irritation for the offender and couldn't find anyone. She'd gotten about halfway through before a few heads moved out of her line of sight for a moment and she caught a glimpse of the dance floor.

Ben was indeed dancing with his lady, the only other girl who knew the steps. Audrey was so graceful, so beautiful, so natural, people were already clapping. She soaked up the attention, beaming. And Ben, just as Reggie had told him, looked into her eyes and smiled, his chin held high.

 _This is all wrong_. Mal thought she was going to be sick. Their affectionate embrace, locked gazes, and gentle spins swam in front of her eyes. This couldn't be happening. They didn't love each other. Why were they together again? If it had been anyone else, anyone at all, Mal would have stomached it. But not Audrey. She wasn't worth the dirt on his shoes.

The roiling, volatile emotions in her stomach threatened to take the form of vomit, but Mal couldn't look away. This picture was undeniably perfect. Ben and Audrey waltzed across the floor, more in sync than he and Mal had ever been. The people around her cooed at the regal couple, their words muddling in Mal's ears. Ben supported Audrey for one final dip, his face uncomfortably close to hers, and the track ended. When she came back up, her hand was on his chest and her cheeks were a pretty pink from the exertion. He had an arm around her as well, and beckoned with his free hand for other couples to join them on the floor.

Mal had finally had enough. She knew how things stood, and that was all she had come here to learn. Despair settling in her stomach, she turned and fled back to her room.

* * *

Evie's head hurt. The flickering torch lights weren't helping, but they were all that remained now that the sun had set. She stood near one and mumbled quietly to her mirror to procure an image of Doug.

The boy was sitting on a picnic bench, alone. He'd been there awhile, since before the reception started, picking at his food. Evie had seen people come by to talk to him when she'd been watching him previously, but he'd always politely smiled, said something succinct, and sent them on their way.

Evie could tell where she needed to go by the relative distance of the tree line from his picnic bench. Keeping her head down and gratefully realizing the dark hid her blue hair, she scurried towards him like a mouse avoiding several cats.

But when she had him in her sights, she stopped for a second. Would it be kinder just to let him go? She'd already broken his heart once - twice? more? - and he didn't deserve to be held back by a criminal girlfriend. Her heart ached for him, though, and she hated seeing him so miserable. So despite her misgivings, she approached.

"Doug?"

He looked up. "Evie?" Doug put down his fork and patted the seat next to him. "I was starting to think you wouldn't come."

Surprised, Evie replied, "I wasn't going to. How did you know I would?"

"I didn't, I guess. I just kind of hoped."

She sat down next to him, unsure if she had any right to touch him. "Did you get hurt?"

"No. I got out, the way you told me to." He shook his head. "I saw Mal take the wand and I kind of unconsciously realized something bad was going to happen. Then things got so chaotic I didn't know what to do except listen to you." Evie sighed in relief. Not that anyone besides herself and Mal had received more than minor cuts and scrapes, but she was still glad he hadn't been in any danger. Doug took her hand in his. "That wasn't part of the plan, was it? Getting me to safety?"

She shook her head and winced again. "I just couldn't let anything happen to you." Tears pricked at her eyes. Doug pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder. "God, I'm so sorry for what we did."

"I'm sorry too. I'm sorry I left you."

Despite the pain, Evie's head snapped up. "You're apologizing? To _me_?"

He nodded. "I haven't been able to get a consistent story about what happened, but I know you got hurt. I should've been there."

Evie stared at him incredulously. His guilt was palpable. _She_ was the one who'd taken part in the plot to destroy Auradon, and here he was acting like it was his fault. "We let Maleficent off the Isle, Doug. We deserved everything we got."

"Yeah, and that was a shitty thing you did. But you were brave enough to make it right. And you were brave enough to save my life. But I didn't even try to save yours. I ran like a coward." He looked down in shame. "I've never had to be brave before, and when the time came it turns out I wasn't your knight in shining armor, Evie."

She wanted to tell him how stupid he was, but that would be inappropriate considering his already low opinion of himself and the fact that she really didn't have the high ground. "I told you to run, Doug. I don't think you're a coward - there's a difference between being brave and being reckless. You're smart and you always have been. What would you have done to Maleficent? It wouldn't have made sense for you to stay there. If you'd tried to save me you might've died, and I would never want that. Ever." Evie touched his cheek. "You're not a knight, Doug, but I don't want you to be some dead, pea-brained daredevil. You are so much better than that. Look at you. You should be yelling at me and instead you're saying sorry. You're the most forgiving person I know. I don't deserve you but somehow you're mine and I love you, just the way you are."

Doug hugged her tightly. "I love you too, Evie." He pulled back just a little to say, "And I forgive you, completely. I just wish you hadn't been keeping secrets from me."

"No more," replied Evie earnestly. She paused when she realized what that meant. Her entire shameful past was a secret to everyone in Auradon. It pained her to have to reveal everything, but she didn't want him to find out any other way. "There's a lot you should know about things that I did on the Isle. I don't want to hide else anything from you, and it's important but it's...private. Can we talk somewhere else?" She hadn't ignored the growing number of people squinting in her direction.

Doug stood up. "Let's grab some food and leave. This party was boring anyways."

* * *

Carlos had been lying face down in bed for over an hour. Dude would periodically nudge him with his nose, but Carlos didn't respond. He was relieved that Dude was unharmed and would be for the foreseeable future, but that relief was overshadowed by quite a few ominous thoughts.

Mal had nearly died. It was his fault - he'd gone completely mental and brought Maleficent to Auradon. Now they were all going to stand trial and would probably be sent back to the Isle, where his mother would greet him with a chokehold.

Jay had been quiet too, sitting at his desk and staring off into space. Carlos was ninety percent sure Jay was thinking up ways to keep Carlos off the Isle. At one point, Jay had mentioned trying to sneak out and run away, which was when he'd discovered that the guards that had escorted them back from Mal and Evie's room were still there and very insistent that the boys remain inside. Carlos didn't deserve such a protective friend. The one good thing he'd done that day was try to get in between Maleficent and Jay. Carlos didn't know where that bravery had come from, but it was long gone now.

Eventually, the sounds of the reception drifted through their walls. Ben had finally gotten his kingdom, and had managed to do it without nearly killing Mal. He was so much better for her than Carlos would ever be.

Dude whined at the muted music and voices. Idly, Carlos wondered when Dude had eaten last. He could probably let the dog out of the room, but that would require getting out of bed. Before he was forced to do so, he heard Jay's footsteps approaching. The dog was lifted off the bed and the door clicked open.

"What do you want?" asked one of the guards.

"I'm not leaving. Just the dog." Dude's collar jingled as he scampered off. Carlos wasn't too upset; Dude knew the way back.

The door clicked closed again. "Carlos."

He grunted.

"You should eat something."

Lunch had been delivered hours ago. Carlos hadn't touched it. "Wassa point?" he muttered into his pillow.

"The point is you don't need to starve before the trial. We might still have a chance." Carlos would've snorted if he wasn't wallowing. Jay didn't sound very convinced. He felt the bed sink under extra weight as Jay sat on the edge. "Buddy, you know I meant what I said. You're not going back. Even if the rest of us are."

Carlos turned over, feeling the effects of immobility in many of his muscles. "You can't control the verdict, Jay."

"I honestly believe they won't do that to you." That was stated with more conviction.

Carlos sighed. He wished he could believe that too, but all along he'd known Auradon was too good to be true. He was safe, well-fed, rested, cared for, almost happy. Never in his life had he experienced that, and he never would again. Something this wonderful could never last. "They will. I was the one who broke the barrier."

"You're not going back," Jay repeated firmly.

"Yes I am."

" _Carlos."_ Jay had grabbed his shoulders to shake him out of the grips of depression, but instead a strange expression crossed his face. "I know you're not going back. I bet my life on it."

"What does that even mea - "

Carlos's eyes snapped open as Jay leaned down to kiss him. The minute Jay's lips touched his, he was so shocked he couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't - wait, no, that was something else. Something was being lifted from every cell of his body, and its leaving paralyzed him. Even as Jay pulled away, Carlos was left with his mouth half-open, not even blinking.

Surprisingly, his first thought was only indirectly about Jay. _Why the hell have I been so obsessed with Mal?_

* * *

Carlos stared at Jay like he'd grown an extra head. Jay couldn't even see the rise and fall of his chest, and the reason why became apparent when Carlos suddenly took a gasping breath and shot up.

"Did you just kiss me?!" he exclaimed, quite unnecessarily.

"I - uh, yeah." Jay felt so stupid. Carlos was still under the love spell. He wasn't interested in Jay anymore. But on the other hand, Jay had been waiting so many years to do that he had to actively suppress a smile.

Only thinking for a second, Carlos grabbed the sides of Jay's face and pulled him in for another one. When they broke apart, both of them were grinning - until Carlos's melted away.

"You asshole."

That was unexpected. "What?"

Carlos shoved him. "You goddamn bastard! You spelled me, didn't you? That's why I've been thinking about Mal for weeks!"

Jay opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it. He started piecing a few things together. Carlos had definitely initiated that second kiss. Mal had mentioned that true love was one of the only ways to break the spell. Now Carlos was aware and furious, but also - they were in love. He ran his hand through his hair. He'd always tried so hard not to focus on his feelings, he had never quite put this label on them. True love. What an incredible -

"Answer me, you jackass!" At least he looked more alive now.

"Yes," Jay replied hurriedly. "I did. I'm sorry, Carlos. I didn't know how else to...I guess...keep things the way they were."

"She choked you for _questioning_ her. Did you ever think about what she might do to me?!"

"I kept you from saying anything too stupid," said Jay lamely. "Carlos, you told me you loved me. I got scared."

The smaller boy furrowed his brows. "I did?"

"Yeah. You were half-asleep but...you did."

Quietly, Carlos asked, "And do you?"

Jay smiled at him. "Yeah. Of course. Broke the spell, didn't we?"

"'Of course'," Carlos quoted, grin returning. He fell back on the bed, holding his head like it was going to explode. "'Of course'." Jay chuckled at his reaction, part surprise and part delight. They were content to just look at each other for a few seconds, connected by this one moment of happiness in an otherwise tumultuous and dark situation.

"I don't want to be separated from you," Carlos said suddenly.

"I don't want that either."

"Jay, I really think I'm the only one they're going to punish."

Jay held Carlos's hand, an unfamiliar gesture. "Talk to Ben. He'll tell you, if you don't believe me. You're going to be okay. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

 **Thanks for the reviews, everyone! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Happy holidays :)**


	22. Never Let It Stop

**Thanks for your reviews! Inspired me to get this out as soon as I could!**

* * *

 _"Where are we going?"_

 _"Anywhere you want."_

 _She was on the back of Ben's motorcycle, racing through the woods. The growl of the bike nearly drowned out their voices. She couldn't feel it vibrating beneath her. She couldn't feel the cloth of Ben's jacket under her bare arms, which were wrapped around his waist. She couldn't smell the familiar scent of his cologne. None of this bothered her. She was with him._

Mal jerked awake. The sun shone brightly into her room. It was a quiet and still Saturday morning. She couldn't hear Evie; her roommate must have left. Mal hadn't spoken to her since the reception. She'd pretended to be asleep when Evie had finally come back around three in the morning.

New imagery filled her mind: Ben and Audrey waltzing in front of an adoring crowd. She shut her eyes against it but of course, that did nothing to dispel the memory. She wished she could go back to sleep. The few times she'd actually drifted off, she'd had the happiest dreams of her life. Whenever she woke up, the reality of the situation hit her as hard as the first time.

Ben was no longer under the spell and was back with Audrey. The past few weeks meant nothing to him - all he saw when he looked at her was a criminal with regrets. He'd blown her off in the most polite, non-confrontational way he'd known how, but his message was clear. She'd never had a chance. He didn't feel anything for her.

 _I hope you find love here,_ he'd told her once. He hadn't meant any ill will, but he failed to mention how devastating love could be. She'd been better off before it. Now she had a gaping hole in her heart that continuously sucked all the energy out of her. Mal turned onto her side and snuggled into her pillow. If she never had to leave her bed again, she'd be relatively content. She knew she'd have to eventually, but for at least another hour she just stared at the cream-colored wall and tried to keep her mind blank.

Finally accepting that she would not be going back to sleep, Mal got up and dressed herself, fishing Ben's ring out of her nightstand drawer. How strange that it was the only thing she had left of their relationship, fleeting as it had been. How unfair that she had to give it back.

She took her sweet time doing it, though. First, she slinked into the very empty school - Saturday after a night-long party meant few people out and about in those hallways. She wet a few paper towels in a water fountain before approaching her locker.

The paint came off with a little scrubbing. Mal made sure to get into the crevices between her locker and Ben's too, until not a trace was left of her old tag. With the trial coming up, that was probably a good thing. It felt like her entire identity had been erased. For a second, she didn't know who she was. A pathetic teenage girl, mourning the loss of a fake boyfriend? A treasonous witch, bound to get her comeuppance? A confused person, just trying to figure out how to be good in a world that had never taught her how?

Mal threw the stained napkins into a nearby trash can and glanced back at her locker. It looked just like all the others - unremarkable, ordinary. Would she have another chance to be ordinary too?

Her stalling couldn't last forever. Too soon, she found herself in front of Ben's room. She hadn't planned on knocking. Mal couldn't see him yet, not while the wound was so fresh. Instead, she took the ring out of her pocket. The golden band still twinkled despite the low lighting. For a second, Mal's thoughts filled with fantasies of what could have been if she'd never given him the antidote or stolen the wand. Where would she be at that moment? Proudly standing beside Ben as he welcomed the incoming children of the Isle? Teasing him about the heavy crown messing up his perfect hair? Eating an early lunch with him before he quickly kissed her and darted off to some meeting or another?

She knew indulging in these impossible futures was a mistake. Maybe, with time, reality would become less painful and she could stop - though bringing herself down to Earth every time she imagined otherwise hurt just as much today as it had yesterday. She would have to let go, starting with returning this ring. Ben had chosen Audrey. Mal needed to accept that.

Before she lost her nerve, Mal slipped the ring underneath his door and walked away as fast as she could.

* * *

Evie drew her legs into her chest and rested her cheek on her knees. Next to her on his bed, Doug was on a laptop searching through news stories. Harry was similarly occupied.

"It's mostly mixed," Doug finally declared. "I think people would've been angrier if anyone else had been hurt. But the only real facts are that some students and a couple of visiting dignitaries got clipped by debris, nothing too serious."

"Yeah," added Harry. "The rest of your story doesn't match up with a lot of the sensationalized headlines. The good news is, none of the headlines match each other. Everyone claims to have 'the real story' from someone who was there, but they're all inconsistent."

"People will still believe the worst," said Evie quietly. "And the truth isn't all that flattering for any of us."

Doug reached for her hand. "It'll be okay. Don't worry."

"How can I not worry, Doug? The trial is tomorrow. This might be my last day here."

"Don't say that. Please," begged Doug. "It's not over yet."

Evie kept her mouth shut, though she didn't entirely believe it. She didn't want to spend her last day with Doug looking up articles that guessed at her fate, but research seemed to calm him. She was glad Harry was being so supportive; she knew she wasn't capable of doing that right then.

The letter had come that morning. Their trial was to be at nine a.m. on Sunday in Auradon Prep's auditorium. Until then they were to remain confined to campus, though their guard had been relieved. Evie didn't understand why their arrest wasn't more strict. Were they not considered high risk anymore? People must have seen that she and Mal had sneaked into the reception. Now they were given the freedom to go pretty much anywhere they wanted in Auradon Prep. Evie hoped that meant the sentiment surrounding their case was more positive than they believed.

The format of the trial had not been revealed. Doug told her that normally, a prosecutor and a defense attorney would present both sides of the case and the verdict was determined by a judge - though in a case this high-profile, Ben himself would be presiding. No information had been given to them regarding an attorney. There was not enough time for either side to prepare statements or research precedent. This trial would not be a normal one.

This terrified her more. Over the past few weeks she'd come to rely on preparation. It had gotten her through her classes and would have allowed their plot to succeed. However, the unknown nature of the trial and the abrupt scheduling of their court date didn't allow for any preparation at all. They would be going in blind, doing their best to argue for a lenient sentence by themselves despite a lack of legal training, all the while knowing they didn't deserve mercy, least of all from Ben.

The fact that Ben was the judge gave her an idea, though. Was he still in love with Mal? He had to be. As terrible as it sounded, she was sure they could use that to their advantage. After lunch, she returned to her room for a few moments, finding her roommate still in bed. This surprised Evie - Mal usually slept very little.

"Mal?" she probed softly. The lavender-haired girl turned towards her, awake after all. "Sorry, were you trying to sleep?"

"No," replied Mal. "Just...still a little sore."

Evie hadn't forgotten the extent of Mal's injuries from the coronation. She hadn't seen the worst of it, unconscious as she'd been, but she remembered waking up to the scent of blood and looking over to see Mal covered in it. Despite Fairy Godmother's magic, Evie's headache hadn't entirely gone - she could only guess at how much pain Mal was in - though she hadn't complained before the reception.

"Oh. Any better than yesterday?"

"A little."

There was a flatness to her voice that Evie wasn't used to. "Listen...about the trial tomorrow..." Mal didn't even blink. Wasn't she afraid? "I was wondering if you thought Ben would really condemn you. You know, with the love spell and everything. And I was hoping, if you - "

"The spell's broken."

Evie stopped. "What? I thought you said it was impossible to break."

Mal turned back around to face the wall. "I was wrong."

That didn't make any sense - unless the trauma of being betrayed had somehow overpowered the magic of the spell, freeing Ben from its grasp. Evie didn't know how magic worked, but that seemed like a reasonable hypothesis. She'd hoped that Mal could convince the king to keep the four of them in Auradon. That hope had fled along with Mal's attention.

 _That would be an evil thing to do,_ she scolded herself, ashamed for thinking about it. She couldn't rely on deception and tricks anymore if she wanted to belong in this kingdom. None of them could. It was better that they didn't have a magical edge. They needed to show the world that they had not meddled with this trial, that they were on the straight and narrow path from here on out. It would be difficult - she'd never had to worry about the morality of her every action before. But if Evie couldn't believe that she could be good, how could she expect the rest of Auradon to believe it?

* * *

Carlos tiptoed through the halls of Auradon Prep, heading towards the gym. Rumor had it that Ben had spent most of the day there - although Carlos was hearing this fourth hand, due to his severely limited contact with anyone other than the Isle kids. Not that he was complaining - it had been less than a day since he and Jay had shared their first kiss. There had been several more kisses after that. Carlos was milking the guilt Jay felt for spelling him.

Part of him still found his feelings confusing. He'd spent so long denying them, hiding from the persecution of the hate-filled villains on the Isle, that he still instinctively shrunk away from the physical contact. He could see Jay doing the same thing. Would they ever be able to overcome this innate fear? Would they ever have the chance?

Carlos ducked behind a row of lockers when he saw a couple of students approaching. He didn't know what they would do or say if they saw him. Yes, technically he was allowed to roam the school, but that didn't mean no one thought he was evil.

Eventually he made it to the entrance of the gym. It was fairly empty, with only die-hard regulars present. Carlos felt like a bug, scuttling from behind one piece of large equipment to another to avoid being seen. He spotted Ben over by a punching bag, wearing a sweat-soaked shirt and basketball shorts. Despite the strenuous work he'd obviously already put in, his punching bag was still taking a beating. Carlos got close enough to hear the grunts every time Ben landed a punch, but he hesitated. What if Ben confirmed all the worries Carlos had? Was it better not to know?

Carlos squatted down and squeezed his tiny body between the back of a pad of a sitting bicep-curl machine and the wall. He took a deep breath to calm himself, and then another, wishing Jay was there to reassure him. Before he could work up the courage to reveal himself, though, he heard other voices.

"Ben? Darling, it's been hours. You need to rest." That was Belle.

The rhythmic thuds of Ben's fists on the synthetic fiber ceased. "I'm okay." The king was panting and his voice was shaky with fatigue.

"Son, please talk to us." Adam.

"Dad..." Ben's tired voice again. "I know what you're going to say. I was wrong. You were right. Please let me deal with this on my own."

"Do you really think that's what I came here to say?" Adam asked quietly. "My son is hurting. That's what I care about."

There was a short pause. "I'm sorry," Ben said finally.

"So am I. I didn't realize we were so at odds that you thought I'd forgotten how to be a father." Ben started to protest, but Adam interrupted. "I should have listened to you. You weren't wrong, Ben. The four of them nearly gave their lives to correct their mistake and save this kingdom. You saw in them what I couldn't."

"You saw something I didn't see, too," said Ben, a little bitterly.

"Darling," Belle murmured. "I wish your heart had been spared in all this. I hate to see you in pain."

"Well, I don't know what else to do. This isn't working." Carlos heard another thud as Ben hit the punching bag once more. "I honestly thought that she...that we...I was so _blind_."

"You weren't blind. You believed in them, expected the best out of them. That's very nearly what you got. If it had been up to me, they would've rotted away on that accursed island, never even having a chance. Your kindness saved them from my folly, and will save many more." Another pause. "You should bring the other children over. You proved they deserve to make their own choice."

"You really think so?"

"We do," Belle said warmly. "What do you think?"

"I..." Carlos held his breath while waiting for Ben to answer. "I don't think anyone is born evil. And I think it isn't too late for the rest of the Isle kids. As much...harm...as these four did, I really believe they feel remorse. And their parents were the worst of the worst." Carlos let himself breathe normally again.

"I'm proud of you, Ben. I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to stay impartial in this situation. You will make a much better king than I ever did." A shuffling sound suggested someone was hugging someone else.

"Let's go back to your room. You need a break," suggested Belle.

Ben didn't agree right away. "I'd rather stay here."

"Wearing yourself out won't make a difference, Ben. Trust me," Adam said, "I know." Something silent must have passed between them. Adam continued, "There was a time when I thought your mother had left me for dead to save your grandfather. I didn't think she would come back."

"But she did."

"But for the longest day of my life, I didn't know. And I've had some pretty long days." Carlos didn't understand what this had to do with anything. He wished Belle and Adam would leave so he could speak to Ben alone. This conversation gave him hope, though the fact that their betrayal hurt Ben so badly was killing him. Ben had only ever been their friend. "Rest. Talk to us. Try to get some sleep. Take care of yourself. Being a king is taxing enough."

Ben sighed. "I'll come find you in a little while. I need to clean up here and take a shower." They said their goodbyes, and finally, Ben was the only one that remained.

Carlos quietly slipped out from behind the machine. Ben had his back to him. He was taking off boxing gloves and unwrapping strips of cloth from around his knuckles. The strips were red with blood.

"Ben?"

The king started and looked around. "Carlos. I didn't hear you coming."

"Uh, yeah." Carlos shifted uncomfortably. "Are you okay?"

That was a pretty stupid question, considering what Carlos had just heard and the self-inflicted injuries. Ben shrugged. "I've been better. How are you?"

 _This poor guy._ The guilt felt heavy. He didn't deserve any more kindness from Ben. "I'm...scared. It was my fault Maleficent got loose. I'm the one on trial, aren't I?"

Ben gave him a sharp look. "All four of you are on trial, Carlos."

"So are you sending all of us back to the Isle?"

He hadn't meant for it to sound like such a certainty, but Ben quickly alleviated his concern. "None of you are going back to the Isle."

"What?" For a moment, Carlos couldn't believe what he was hearing. Then relief flooded his body. "We're not?"

"No."

"Then what - "

"Carlos, I really shouldn't be talking to you about this before tomorrow. I'm sorry." Ben threw the cloth away and packed his gloves into a bag.

"N-no, yeah. I get that. That's fine." He wasn't going back. That was all he cared about. Anything else they sentenced him to didn't matter. He was going to stay in Auradon. With Jay. "That's...that's more than we deserve."

The two of them silently regarded each other for a few seconds, until Ben clapped Carlos on the shoulder, draped his towel around his neck, and left for the locker room.

* * *

Jay and Carlos met Mal and Evie in a room outside the auditorium, escorted by guards. They'd all been informed at this point that the Isle was not an option. No other verdict scared them quite as much. All of them had benefited from that consolation - except for Mal, who looked paler than usual.

Nonetheless, they were a little anxious about the outcome. They waited quietly until they were called, nearly half an hour after the trial started. Another guard ushered them to the auditorium door. Before entering, Jay took Carlos's hand. Evie reached for his other hand and offered her free one to Mal. The smaller girl hesitated, but eventually joined them. The guard opened the door.

The rows of seats were filled with adults Jay had never seen. A large portion of them were reporters, as evidenced by the cameras. Others were better dressed and looked more important. Not a single student was among them.

As the four of them entered in a chain, pressed against each other for refuge against the hundreds of eyes on them, someone started clapping. Then another, and another. People started to stand, and the applause got louder the further into the auditorium they walked. Perplexed, Jay exchanged looks with Carlos.

They approached the front of the room amid the thunderous noise and turned to face the rising levels of seats. In front of them, Fairy Godmother sat with a large notepad and quill-shaped pen. Next to her was Ben, who'd donned his new crown and the seriousness that Adam had characteristically displayed. They both clapped politely as well. Ben, Jay noticed, was avoiding looking up.

"Please be seated." Fairy Godmother had a microphone in front of her so her amplified voice reached everyone in the auditorium. Slowly, the attendees complied. "Thank you. Let the record show that we are now joined by Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay." She nodded at them. "For the benefit of the newly arrived, I will provide a summary of events to this point. I informed the court that the barrier has been fully repaired, and that no other villains are known to have escaped. Then King Benjamin provided a truly inspired defense of your case. Raised among poverty, disease, starvation, and evil, it took only a few weeks for you to renounce all that you had known and emerge as heroes of Auradon. You showed bravery, loyalty, and an innate goodness that Auradon prides in all of its citizens." Ben had said all of that? They owed him so much. Even after the betrayal, he was defending them. "However, before the decision is announced, the court has several questions for you."

One of the well-dressed women stood up. "When did you begin planning to open the barrier on the Isle?"

The four of them looked at each other. Normally, they'd allow Mal to answer - she was the leader, after all. When it became obvious that Mal didn't intend on saying anything, Jay took over. "The day we were invited to Auradon, Maleficent gave us this mission. She said that Fairy Godmother's wand was the only way to break the barrier and that stealing it needed to be our first priority." What was the point of that question? To show that they hadn't come up with the plot themselves?

Satisfied, the woman sat down. A man stood up. "How did you communicate the exact time this plan was to be carried out to Maleficent on the Isle?"

Jay didn't have an answer for that. "We don't know how she knew...she just did."

"She could feel it." It was the first time he'd heard Mal speak in a long time. There was something strange about her voice. Out of the corner of his eye, Jay saw Ben tense - but the king still didn't look up. "I could feel it too, the minute I was off the island. She would've known the instant there was a break."

That man sat down and another stood up. The questioning continued in much the same manner, slowly revealing how their attitudes towards Auradon had changed, and how they began to question their loyalty to their parents. Finally, another woman stood up.

"Can you give the court a reason to believe you will not do something like this again?"

Again, that caught Jay off guard. _A reason._ He realized he actually had quite a few. One of them was standing right next to him. He happened to catch Carlos's eye just as Carlos had turned to look at him, and smiled.

Evie beat them to the punch. "My reason is that...I'm so much more than a pretty face in Auradon. I have potential here. I have a career. I have a purpose. On the Isle I was...I'm not sure I can say in court. But here I have so many opportunities and my future is what I make of it. I'd never risk losing that again."

They waited while a smattering of applause followed Evie's response. Then Carlos said, "My reason is that I don't have to be afraid in Auradon. On the Isle, my mother..." His voice began to fail, and Jay squeezed his hand. "...My mother beat me, starved me, made me work until I couldn't stand. She nearly killed me more times than I can count. I'm only alive because of Jay - " Jay's heart swelled. " - and I was always too afraid to tell him how I really felt. To be who I really am. But I'm not scared when I'm here. I don't think I'll ever be scared again."

Murmurs accompanied the applause after Carlos's statement. It was likely that most of the citizens present didn't know how bad the Isle could get. Even Ben glanced up at Carlos for a split second before whispering something to Fairy Godmother.

Jay added, "I've never been able to be myself before either. But also...whether it's finally having a relationship that means something to me, or being on the tourney team, my reason is that in Auradon, I'm a part of something bigger than myself. I'm not on my own anymore. I'm with people that make me better." Carlos grinned at him, and Jay rested his head on his boyfriend's. The clapping was considerably louder at this display of affection.

The three of them turned to Mal. Jay couldn't help thinking she seemed a little lost. Could she not think of anything? He searched his memory of the last few weeks to help her, but came up short. Her mother was a lizard, her magic was common knowledge, and most people in Auradon would probably have trouble ever fully trusting her again. She was covered in scars from the battle with her mother, and she hadn't appeared to have healed well. Did she even have a reason?

She began, haltingly, "On the Isle, I saw Jay and Carlos and Evie every day. We were together all the time, but I didn't think of them as my friends...until we came here." This was news to Jay. He thought back to when they'd first arrived - most notably, when Mal had accidentally choked him in anger. They really had come a long way. "I've never had friends before. I don't want to lose them."

"Mal..." said Evie, her voice filled with emotion.

"You big love bucket," Jay finished, just to provoke her. He considered himself successful when Mal rolled her eyes, and even more so when she froze in shock as the three of them crushed her in a hug.

From inside their embrace, Jay heard a mumbled, "Well, sometimes I want to lose them." Others picked it up too; the crowd laughed as the joke was passed back to people who hadn't been able to hear.

Fairy Godmother waited for the rabble to die down, and then said, "The sentence has been decided." Jay waited with bated breath for Ben to say something, but Fairy Godmother continued. "The four of you are to complete two hundred and fifty hours of community service over the next year. You will attend weekly counseling sessions with Dr. Rickett, recently assigned to the Children's Village of Auradon - or more frequently, if necessary." There was no uncertainty about who that addendum applied to. "You will remain in the class entitled Remedial Goodness, and are expected to pass with a grade of B or better. Is that understood?"

 _Understood?_ This was nothing. Their sentence was incredibly light. They were being given another chance. Jay could not have been more grateful.

Their group hug, which had dispersed somewhat, reformed. "Thank you," said Evie on their behalf. "We won't let you down."

Ben got up and smiled. Now that Jay had gotten a clear look at his face, he noticed bags under the king's eyes. "I know you won't." He turned to the crowd. "This court is adjourned."


	23. You Can Make It Happen

**A quick update! :) There's a little mention of Once Upon A Time in here, which I know is not Disney but it happened to work well.**

* * *

Mal found herself lying in bed aimlessly a lot more than usual. She'd skipped classes entirely on Monday, electing to stare at her ceiling instead. A few times, the thought of eating had crossed her mind, but she had no appetite to speak of. The day dragged on endlessly, her only reprieve being sleep. She spent most of her waking hours trying not to think, trying not to _remember_ , and failing. On Tuesday she'd been able to drag herself out of her room for a few hours, which is how she discovered that someone had written "BITCH" jaggedly in red paint on her locker. It hadn't been there the day before, Evie informed her when it turned out all of them had some insult or other on their lockers. Fairy Godmother was looking for the perpetrators. Mal probably could have found them magically, had she the energy or the motivation to do so. She didn't even clean off her locker, though when she came back the next day the message was gone.

Even when she made it to class, she couldn't focus. Her teachers had let go her unexcused absence, considering the extensive injuries she'd gotten, and were content to ignore the fact that she was blankly watching the time tick by instead of writing notes. Their voices sounded fuzzy to her, unless she strained to pay attention. When she did understand what they were saying, none of it felt at all important - just pointless, dreary, gray. Like everything else.

She soon came to hate the fact that she would rush back to bed as soon as the day was over, close her eyes, and practically beg her brain to shut down because the numbness and despair she'd been feeling while awake would disappear the minute she lost consciousness. While she slept, her mind kept feeding her those lovely dreams of being with Ben, and she ate them up like a starving dog. During one nap, she had replaced Audrey as the girl dancing with him at the reception - their gazes locked, him wearing the smile that was only for her. Another night, they were flying among the stars and making constellations of their own. When she dozed off one afternoon, the two of them were walking hand-in-hand through Auradon Prep's garden, and he bent down to kiss her on the cheek and tell her everything would be okay. One particularly strange dream involved a dinner with outlandish dishes that made Mal and Ben laugh and laugh. Bouncing apricots. Salmon covered with cheese. An apple pie that only quoted Shakespeare. It didn't make much sense, but then again, it didn't have to. It was still better than what awaited her when she woke up - that aching pain in her chest and the bleak realization that her life didn't have Ben in it anymore.

She knew Evie was worried. She knew she should eat more. She knew she was floundering in her classes. _Just this one last day,_ she would keep telling herself. _Tomorrow I'll pull myself together._ But then tomorrow came, and she was still too miserable to care. So miserable, in fact, that she didn't have the will to do _anything_ , let alone fix her broken heart. Blank sketchbook pages attested to that fact.

She missed him constantly, as if his lack of presence was a presence all on its own. Would it help if she maintained the friendship they'd had before the love potion? At least she would still be able to see him and talk to him, even if Audrey was there too. It had to be better than this. Anything had to be better than this.

So Mal looked for Ben whenever she was out of her room. Wednesday morning she left early and stalled by her locker to greet him when he came by - he never did. He was busier now that he was king, she reasoned. Maybe he'd had a meeting. But then he wasn't at lunch or dinner either. She thought she saw a familiar royal-blue pant leg disappearing around a corner once, and chased it down, but in vain. Mal had desperately resorted to her Seeing Eye spell, catching him in a conversation with some dignitary outside of a conference room, but then waved the image away. She was just stalking him at this point, and she had enough respect for him - and perhaps a little remained for herself - to quit while she was ahead.

All of this resulted in Mal continuing to lie in bed as before, waiting to fall asleep, if only for a little while. She heard the scratching of Evie's pencil as her roommate finished up her math homework. Eventually, Evie voiced the concern she'd been biting back all week. "Mal, are you feeling okay?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Because...you've been sleeping a lot lately. I know you took some really bad hits - a lot of really bad hits - but if they're still bothering you maybe you should have Fairy Godmother take another look."

"It's fine. I'm just tired." She was too ashamed to tell Evie the real reason. She already knew what people would say to her - _you're this depressed because some boy doesn't love you back?_ But the fact was that she wasn't used to feeling much emotion at all, besides the anger that drove her to survive on the Isle, and true love was famously the most powerful one on the planet. He wasn't 'some boy' to her. He was the only one. Without him, she couldn't shake this emptiness, incompleteness that left her irreparably lonely. And she had given him up so he could find his happiness without her.

 _It was the right thing to do. He doesn't deserve to be a puppet. He deserves the world._ She knew that she would have despised herself if she'd kept him under the spell just to prolong their fake relationship, but the loss had still left her as battered as the battle with Maleficent had. Everything hurt all the time and Mal did not know how to heal herself.

But she was a _dragon_. The least she could do was hide it better.

Evie came over and pressed the back of her hand to Mal's forehead. "You feel a little warm - but also my hands are cold. Do you think you've got the flu? The weather's starting to cool down."

"Maybe." Mal avoided her gaze, but she knew Evie wasn't entirely convinced. The other girl returned to her desk.

"You'd think there was a spell for getting rid of a virus in that giant book of yours." Thankfully, Evie left it at that. However, her words continued to ring around in Mal's head: _in that giant book of yours._

Could there be a spell to cure a broken heart?

With her first display of energy in days, Mal rushed to her desk to find the spell book and bring it back to bed. She flipped through it, passing numerous illusions, charms, and enchantments before ending up at the back of the book again, where the most ancient and powerful spells lived. There, she found what she was looking for.

Her mother had translated it from ancient Greek: _Removing a Beating Heart._

The spell had a variety of uses: crushing the removed heart to induce a painful death in the victim, storage of the heart for hostage purposes, control of another human being through simple voice commands - but the one Mal was interested in involved a pretty substantial loss of emotion once the heart was taken out.

The aforementioned heart nearly stopped beating in her chest. She could do this. It was difficult and dangerous, and there was a good chance it wouldn't work. But what if she was successful? She wouldn't hurt anymore. She wouldn't love. She wouldn -

 _I wouldn't have friends._ Mal cast a guilty glance in Evie's direction. Without a heart, she wouldn't care about them either - or anyone else. She'd have to lose everything that made her happy to lose everything that made her sad. And if she carried out the spell, would anyone be able to reason with a powerful enchantress who lacked empathy, or would she wreak havoc on the world?

Mal flopped back in bed to think. If she didn't, how long would it take her to break under the current conditions? How many villains began their stories with spurned love? Rumor had it that Maleficent turned to evil after being rejected as well, though Mal would never have asked her mother about it in a million years. If there was any truth to it, perhaps she would follow in her Maleficent's footsteps after all - her pain turning into hatred, hatred turning into destruction.

 _Could I ever hate Ben?_ She couldn't imagine a world where that was true, but the idea scared her. Would her anguish make her a villain again?

She couldn't go on like this. It had only been a few days and she was already weak, pathetic, lost, and hopeless.

 _I want to do this. I can. I will._

She skimmed through the spell once again. "Evie, do you happen to know when the next full moon is?"

"Geez," commented Evie, looking it up on her computer, "You need a full moon to cure the flu? That seems excessi - Saturday night. You'll probably get better by then on your own."

"Yeah." Mal bookmarked the page.

She'd make all the preparations beforehand. On the night of the full moon, all she'd have to do was chant the Greek incantation and - delicately - separate her heart from her body. She would be free, though not physically - after all, there was only one safe place to put her before the indifference set in and she went back to harming people.

The Isle of the Lost.

* * *

Evie picked at her food sullenly. Things should have been perfect. They were allowed to stay. They had another chance at life. So what was wrong with Mal?

"I'm worried about her," she told the boys at lunch one day. "I don't even think she's asleep when she's in bed, she's just...lying there."

"Why?"

"That's what I can't figure out."

Carlos smirked. "Maybe get her _boyfriend_ to visit - bet she'd be back to grumpy old Mal in a second."

"He's the king now, Carlos, you can't just send him on a suicide mission," Jay pointed out. In spite of himself, Doug snorted into his applesauce.

Lonnie joined them as well, having been among the first of the students to forgive them after they emerged from house arrest. Evie acknowledged her with a nod, and then said, "Mal said that spell is broken." She looked sideways at Doug. He wasn't technically supposed to know about the love spell, but Evie had told him along with several other secrets she'd been keeping.

"Audrey?" Carlos guessed. Lonnie looked like she was going to ask a question, but a mouthful of sandwich stopped her.

"Probably. But I'm serious, guys, I think...I think I might know what's wrong." The other students waited. "I think Mal can't be good."

Lonnie swallowed and frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Well, on the Isle we always acted evilly. That's just the way it was. And when we came here, we had the plan to take over Auradon - sorry about that again - but now...now we're all on the up and up. The three of us are managing - we make mistakes, sure, but we're getting better - but Mal's not even trying."

"But she chose good," said Jay.

"Yeah. But choosing it is one thing, living it is another. You have to actively - I mean, remember how we were all talking about getting back at the people who vandalized our lockers? Revenge isn't something good people do. But we understood that, and we're letting Fairy Godmother handle it. We have to make choices like that all the time. Maybe that's just too difficult for Mal. How exhausting must it be to constantly second guess everything you do? I'm just wondering if she's tired of it already, because it goes against everything she's ever been."

The five of them thought on it for a while. "I think Dr. Rickett might be able to help her," Carlos offered.

"Did you have your session already?" asked Evie. They were still getting used to the fact that they were required to see a psychologist, what with their own inherent stigma against needing that kind of help, but Doug and Lonnie were so nonjudgmental Evie felt comfortable enough to talk about it.

"Yeah. Yesterday."

"I had mine right after him," said Jay.

"How was it?"

Carlos and Jay exchanged looks. "He's really nice. Doesn't make you talk about stuff you don't want to. But it's weird telling a stranger things you've never told anyone."

"I think it's harder, the more stuff you have to hide. It's like he knows when I'm not telling the whole truth," Carlos added.

"That's his job, isn't it?" Evie remarked. "Did you see them bringing in more Isle kids while you were there?"

"All the kids are there already, even the older ones that are supposed to be at Auradon Prep. Probably to make sure none of them are plotting anything - sorry again," said Carlos.

"You guys know you don't have to keep apologizing, right?" Doug told them.

Lonnie tapped on the table with a spoon. "When's Mal's session?"

Evie thought back to the schedule they had made earlier in the week. "I think it's Saturday."

"Maybe someone should talk to her before then," Doug suggested. "Are you bringing food back for her?"

"Yes," sighed Evie. "But she's not going to eat it."

* * *

Carlos tried his very best not to laugh when he walked into Remedial Goodness on Thursday, but he wasn't all good yet. Jay joined him, and even Evie had a satisfied smile on her face.

The locker vandals had been caught and assigned to this class. Audrey and Chad shot glares at the Isle kids and chose desks far away from everyone else.

Mal, still abnormally pale and somehow smaller than she'd been before, spent a long time staring at Audrey confusedly. The princess sneered back. "You think a puppy-dog pout from you is going to make me feel bad? You deserved it. You nearly killed us all."

"Now, Audrey," Fairy Godmother interrupted. "Behavior like this tells me that you have forgotten one of the qualities that separates heroes from villains: forgiveness."

"Her mother - "

"I know what her mother did. I am able to differentiate that from what Mal has done. I know what your mother did. I am sorry to say that your actions tell quite a different story. Our lesson today will focus on forgiveness, then, because - "

"With all due respect, Fairy Godmother," Audrey interjected with barely concealed anger, "I forgive people just fine. I did Ben a favor, standing in for his _rotten_ girlfriend when it turned out she was trying to destroy his kingdom."

To Carlos's surprise, Mal didn't bite back. She hunkered down and doodled in her notebook. He jumped at the chance to defend Mal, after all the defending she'd done for him over the years. "Aren't _you_ his rotten girlfriend?"

"She's still with me, in case _you're_ getting any ideas," Chad snarled in Evie's general direction. Evie just rolled her eyes, and Mal stopped doodling.

"That's enough!" thundered Fairy Godmother. "There will be no fighting in this class. _Forgiveness._ We are going to practice. Everyone stand up." No one moved. "NOW."

With quite a bit of grumbling, the six students did as they were ordered.

"Find someone who you feel has wronged you. KINDLY and POLITELY tell them, 'I forgive you,'" the headmistress instructed. No one budged, instead participating in heated staring contests. "I will start. Mal," she said, forcing the fairy girl to look up. "I forgive you for stealing my wand. I have seen you grow, both in and outside of this class, and I am far more impressed by the person you have become than I am angry at what you felt forced to do. I believe in you. I know you will redeem yourself in the years to come."

The mood in the room changed considerably following her statement. Fairy Godmother stretched out a hand with a warm smile, and with only a little hesitation, Mal took it. "Thank you," she replied quietly. "That means a lot." The other Isle students mirrored her solemnity and awe. Though Fairy Godmother had singled out Mal, they all felt some of the weight on their shoulders lift. What an interesting concept, to let go of grudges - it dissolved so much negative emotion between the two parties. Knowing Fairy Godmother had forgiven them, Carlos already felt safer, more included, like he was one less step away from fitting in seamlessly with the other citizens of Auradon.

"Who's next?" asked Fairy Godmother.

For a moment, all was still. Then, to everyone's surprise, Jay stepped up and extended a hand to Chad. "Chad, I forgive you for writing on my locker. I think you're a good teammate and tourney player. If we want to keep working as a team, and keep winning in our league, we should get along. So...yeah."

Chad eyed his hand suspiciously. "You think I'm good at tourney?"

"Yeah, I do," Jay answered, shrugging.

"Really?" Chad reached for Jay's hand, though he was interrupted by a hissed ' _Chad_!' from Audrey. "Audrey, he's a legend! What am I supposed to do, not take the compliment?" He shook hands with Jay. "Sorry about the locker. It was mostly her idea."

"Chad," warned Fairy Godmother while Audrey seethed. "Apologizing means taking responsibility for your actions."

"Whatever."

"I'll go next," Carlos volunteered. He held out a hand for Chad to shake, and the other boy did. "I forgive you. What Jay said. We're on the same team."

"Okay," said Chad. "I'm going to try to forgive you guys for, you know, getting halfway through destroying all life as we know it. It's not easy," he added.

"That's fair," Carlos commented.

Evie went next, flouncing up to Chad and giving him a brilliant smile. "I forgive you," she told him, though it sounded somewhat sarcastic, "for trying to get me expelled, for calling me a gold digger, for assuming you knew anything about me, for making me do all your homework - "

"Chad!" exclaimed Fairy Godmother.

" - and I'm forgiving you because if you'd indulged me at all, I might not have decided to take school seriously. I might not have learned as much. And I might not have ended up with Doug. So even though you did all of those things, I'm okay with it, because it all worked out in the end."

The blonde boy did not know what to say to that. Additionally, Fairy Godmother looked like she was going to have a serious conversation with him about plagiarism later.

"Audrey or Mal, would you like to try?" suggested Fairy Godmother.

The two girls sized each other up, neither willing to give. Finally, Mal said, "I can't."

"You can't forgive?"

"I can't forgive Audrey."

"Why not?" Fairy Godmother seemed mostly curious, but Audrey's pretty face was twisted in a not-so-pretty frown.

Mal looked down at the floor. "I just can't." Carlos had never seen her like this. She almost looked timid. But her resolve was still there; even though she was speaking softly, no one entertained the idea that she would change her mind about Audrey.

"I must say, I'm disappointed, Mal. I hope you decide to forgive her eventually. Audrey, do you have anything to say?"

"To _her_? No. Just - thanks for stealing my boyfriend. Try not to steal this one too." Mal said nothing.

Fairy Godmother sighed. "And it was going so well. Alright then, let's return to lecture, shall we?"

When class ended half an hour later, Carlos and Jay invited Chad to walk with them to tourney practice. He declined - but mostly because Fairy Godmother was waiting for him with a stern expression on her face.

* * *

Jay and Carlos knocked on the girls' door about an hour before curfew. Evie answered, already dressed in her darkest clothing. Mal, as expected, was lying in bed with her eyes closed. Her constant adjustments to get more comfortable suggested she was not actually asleep.

"Mal," Evie said gently. The other girl opened her eyes. "You're not sick, are you?"

Mal didn't reply.

"There's something we want to show you," Jay began. "But you have to come with us. It won't take long."

They had expected resistance, but Mal just sat up and said tiredly, "Where?"

"Outside. Change into something black."

They waited for her to do so, and then led her down the stairs, out the back, and onto the tourney fields. They continued past the fields into the forest behind the school, and stopped a few dozen yards in.

Jay, Carlos, and Evie had combined sticks and other forest debris to make vaguely humanoid shapes. The figures were several feet apart and at varying distances from the group. On the ground next to them was a pile of rocks, each individually wrapped in leaves. Jay took out a lighter and set one of the leaf-covered rocks on fire. "I'll go first."

They all knew this game. They'd played it often on the Isle, albeit with trash instead of branches and leaves. The player to set the most figures on fire won. Normally they would've let all of them burn, but Jay and Carlos had brought several buckets of water to douse the wood so as not to alert anyone who would consider this game too dangerous for students.

Jay hurled his rock at a nearby target before the flames had covered the leaf to the point where he would no longer be able to hold it. He hit his victim's 'head' but it didn't catch fire. The rock landed behind the figure, and Evie was quick to pour water on it. "No points!" she announced. "And that's a stupid strategy, by the way."

"What, like you could do better?" Jay challenged her.

"If you keep aiming at the top, yeah, I could do better. But I'm not playing." She nodded at Mal. "Your turn."

Jay offered Mal the lighter, but she shook her head and opened her palm. A purple fireball materialized in her hand. She threw it at a farther target - it landed at the base, and the flames started eating at the upright branch.

"Point for Mal!" said Evie. Carlos rushed over to dump water on the growing fire, and then knocked over the set-up so no one could aim at it again.

"No way! That's not fair. How do I know that's not magical fire that...I don't know...is extra-fiery?"

"Extra-fiery?" Mal repeated dryly. At least he'd gotten some semblance of humor out of her. "I don't know what that means."

"It means you have to use regular fire," Carlos called from near the fallen target.

Evie reluctantly agreed. "But that one still counts, because we didn't elaborate on the rules."

Satisfied, Jay lit another rock on fire and chucked it. This time he aimed for the base as well, and the wood caught.

"Not so stupid after all," mocked Evie. "One point for Jay."

"Shut up, Evie." Carlos laughed at that, which Jay appreciated. His comeback had not been very witty.

Mal went next, and tried to hit a further target. Her arm wasn't quite as good as it used to be. Jay, considering the purpose of this exercise, missed as well. Mal's next throw skimmed past one particularly dry target, setting it on fire, and then landed near a second one, setting that on fire too. All four of them exclaimed their disbelief, and Jay was pleasantly surprised to see a smile on Mal's face at long last.

By the time curfew drew near, Mal was ahead by two and there was a significant amount of smoke rising from the fallen figures. Before they left, they checked each burned-out rock to make sure no sparks were left to start a forest fire. When Jay wasn't looking, Carlos and Evie dumped the remaining water on him.

"What the hell?!" he spluttered, glaring accusingly at Carlos. "I expect shit like this from her, but you're supposed to be my..." He was still having trouble admitting their relationship in public, especially around other Isle kids who might have residual negative opinions. "...you're supposed to have my back!"

Carlos shrugged, not catching the momentary hesitation. "Maybe you shouldn't've lost," he teased.

"I don't remember anything happening to losers on the Isle," Jay argued.

Evie smirked. "Oops. Looks like we forgot to elaborate on that rule, too."

"I will _punch you in the face._ "

Knowing that threat was empty, Evie just laughed. Carlos grinned and looped an arm around Jay's shoulders. Almost immediately after seeing that, Mal's long-present smile disappeared. Jay felt his stomach sink. _I knew it. She still thinks we're disgusting. Evie probably does too._ As delicately as he could, Jay shook Carlos's arm off, ignoring the questioning glance from his boyfriend. He'd have to explain later that Mal, for whatever reason, was expressing her distaste in the form of a sorrowful sigh.


	24. Give It All You Got

**Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Evil has a price._

She sat with a blank piece of paper in front of her early on Saturday morning. Not entirely blank, actually - the top read _Dear Evie, Carlos, and Jay._

How would she explain to them why she was going through with this? How could she tell them that her broken heart had become too much for her to handle, a foe she'd never prepared for during all that time she'd spent fighting on the Isle? Mal knew they'd arranged their old fireball game for her benefit. For a little while she'd actually felt better, but when it was over, the pain was back and almost seemed worse than before. And it was starting to change her, just as she'd feared it would.

She'd long hated her overreaction to losing Ben, her inability to hide her sadness from her friends, and her idea of ever using the love potion in the first place. But the hate was starting to spill over. She hated how much she looked like her mother. She hated her violent past. She hated her morbid works of art. She hated every thought that crossed her mind because none of them were good, or pure, or heroic. She hated herself, because these and so many other reasons made it obvious as to why someone like Ben would never really love someone like her.

It had made her start questioning other things she had previously thought she'd earned, as well. Did she really deserve this room, this bed, the endless amount of food, an education, the assurance that she would be safe while she slept? If any other Auradonian citizen had committed even one of the horrible crimes in her history, they'd have been sent to the Isle. She belonged there. She was a monster, and she would always be a monster. If her worthiness of being a citizen of Auradon was in question, Ben's love was unattainable.

 _Evil has a price._

Of course, none of this was going in the letter. She didn't know how to put all of this into words, so nothing was written except the bare minimum.

 _Dear Evie, Carlos, and Jay,_

 _I'm sorry I couldn't cut it here. If you're reading this, I'm under a sleeping spell. It should last until Sunday afternoon - or until you get me to the Isle and the magic doesn't work anymore. You NEED to get me to the Isle. Under this letter is a box, and in that box is my heart. Without it, I won't feel anything, and I'll be a danger to everyone in Auradon. Evie, please keep it safe. If it dies, I die. And please, please make sure I'm on the Isle before I wake up. It's the only place my magic can't hurt anyone._

 _I hope you_

Mal paused, unsure of how to finish. She looked over at her sleeping roommate, trying to imagine her future in Auradon. Evie would graduate from Auradon Prep with flying colors, get into the college and graduate program of her choice, and make world-changing discoveries in whatever subject she put her mind to. Jay and Carlos - well, they were happier together than they had ever been apart. Maybe Jay would become a renowned athlete, representing all of Auradon. Carlos had been toying with the idea of an engineering degree for a while - he and Evie could work together towards making the world a better place. Success and happiness awaited all three of them. Mal wished she could see it now, before she had to go.

She sighed, deciding to finish the letter a little later. She was running late. Mal stuffed the letter into her spell book and made sure everything was ready for that night. She left the room as silently as she could so Evie didn't wake.

Finally, Mal paid for a cab to take her to the Children's Village for the last time.

Teaching a single art class would likely make no impact on the newly arrived children, but remembering the room Ben had set up for her was one of the only things that lifted her spirits lately. Besides, she and Ben had put so much work into this venture: hours of re-purposing classrooms, overseeing expansions, sifting through donations, hashing out lesson plans, assembling bunk beds. This was her last chance to see the final result.

As expected, the place was in chaos. Through the windows behind the front desk, she could see unruly Isle kids running around the courtyard in every which direction while staff chased them down. The staff had been trained and braced for this, though; none of them had any valuables on their person, and all of them spoke in gentle but authoritative voices about how 'the mainland is different and you are expected to behave differently.'

Nonetheless, it helped when the children saw Mal. An immediate hush fell over them. She surveyed them coolly, noting the youngest was about four. The oldest children in this crowd were no more than nine. The tweens and teens were likely being kept separate to diminish the influence they'd have over the younger kids.

"Everyone get to the art room," she said, surprised when the children allowed the staff to usher them into the building. Her reputation from the Isle was still well-ingrained in their minds, even though they'd heard by now that she'd switched sides.

She followed them in, nodding towards the tiny desks and chairs. While they squirmed in their seats, still uneasily quiet, Mal passed out paper to each one and distributed boxes of crayons. "Don't break the crayons. You won't get new ones," she warned them. Even at this young age, inhabitants of the Isle knew how to make things last. "Find a green crayon."

For the most part, they did as she asked. The staff members of the orphanage lined up at the back of the room, relief apparent. One young girl raised her hand. "What's green?" An employee came forward to help her.

Mal adjusted her easel at the front of the room so all the kids could see. "You're going to take your green crayon and draw a flat line, like this." She did so, her horizontal line spanning the length of the paper. "Then, draw three short lines up from that one, spaced far apart." When she was done, she looked over the papers of the kids in front to see if they were following directions. So far, still unsure if this was a punishment or an activity, they all complied.

"Take out the yellow crayon. Draw a circle on the top end of each of those short lines." She waited. "Now pick another color, any one you want. Whatever's your favorite." She waited while a murmur started up. The children explored their crayon boxes, considering their options and occasionally finding the decision difficult. "We're going to use this to draw petals."

"Petals? Are we drawing flowers?" asked one boy, dismayed.

Mal turned to him slowly, her face expressionless. "Problem?"

"...No." Shaken and humbled, the boy awaited further instruction.

"I like flowers! I seed them in a picture," announced the girl who hadn't known her colors. She was skinny, but so were the rest of them. Her hair was combed, however, and she'd definitely showered in the past twenty-four hours. Her clothes were neat and pretty close to her size. She almost looked like an Auradon kid.

"You _saw_ them in a picture," Mal corrected gently. "You'll see a lot of them around Auradon."

Her eyes widened. "For real?"

Mal replied with a nod. She turned back to her easel before any of the kids could see her soften. The smallest ones had the least exposure to the vile ways of the Isle of the Lost. There was hope for them, at the very least. "Now, we're going to start at the top of the yellow circle..."

Mal walked them through drawing the petals, determined to make them as realistic as her class's limited hand-eye coordination would allow. Six similarly sized, teardrop shapes in a circle was no small feat and in the end, only a few of them accomplished it. Mal moved on to the second flower and repeated her instructions, hoping for better results the second time around. So engrossed was she in explaining her technique, she didn't notice the extra set of blue eyes trained on her from the doorway until one of the kids said, "Is that King Ben?"

Mal's head snapped around so fast she was able to catch the transition in Ben's expression from a sort of forlorn wistfulness to surprise. He clearly hadn't meant to be seen. Her breath caught and her body froze - it was the first time they'd been in the same room since the hearing and she'd forgotten what it felt like just to see him. That little bubble of elation fizzled out quickly, though, as Ben just waved at the class and stuttered something about 'checking in'. He was already backing out of the doorway, and who knew when she would ever get this opportunity again, so as soon as he turned to leave Mal gave the students quick instructions to draw the third flower on their own and skidded out into the hallway after him.

"Wait!" Ben had clearly been hurrying, but he couldn't ignore such a loud call. He faced her reluctantly, a forced smile on his face.

"Hey, Mal. How's it going?"

"Um...it's...fine, I guess." Now that she was here, ten feet away from him, her mind had completely blanked out. He looked different, somehow - haggard, like being king was already taking a toll on him. There were dark circles under his eyes. He also seemed extremely uncomfortable, which was setting off alarms in Mal's head. "How are you? I haven't seen you around."

Ben scratched the back of his head and looked away. "Yeah, I've been busy." He made an ostentatious show of checking his watch. _Why is he in such a hurry to leave?_ Her mind was starting to put the pieces together, but she refused to believe the evidence.

"The kids look happy," she said, before he could end the conversation.

"Yeah, they do." At last, he relaxed a little. "You're doing a great job in there."

"Thank you." Mal swelled with pride, quite irrationally. Her fears subsided. Everything was fine. Perhaps they didn't need to be together at all. If they could just talk like this, just be friends...that would be enough. "You should stay, get to know - "

"I wish I could," Ben interrupted, "but I've got a lot of things to do today. Um...maybe...maybe another time." Even that seemed difficult for him to agree to. The distant, stiff Ben had returned, just like at the reception. She could tell just from his uneasy demeanor and his unwillingness to look her in the eye that he was going to make it ten times harder for her to meet him again. And she could no longer pretend she didn't know why.

He hated her. _D_ _etested_ her.

Mal's transient high crashed and burned; a lump formed in her throat. She hadn't come this close to crying since the night before the coronation. He was never like this, with anyone - even when he'd been angry with his father, he'd given the older king chance after chance to argue out their problems. But with her...she'd thought he was just indifferent - maybe even still rooting for them, considering the rousing defense he'd given at the trial - but it was plain to see that he couldn't stand to be anywhere near her. No wonder she hadn't seen him - he'd been avoiding her. Just like he was trying to do now.

Ben shuffled his feet. "I have to go. I'm running kind of late. Bye, Mal."

This couldn't be how they left things between them. "I'm sorry!" she blurted at his retreating form. Her voice was noticeably shaky. She'd never been more sincere in her life. There was nothing she regretted more than betraying him. But it didn't matter. Ben's feelings on the matter were clear. He'd allowed her to stay in Auradon with her more redeemable friends, so long as she stayed far away from him. Did this mean he no longer believed in her, just like she no longer believed in herself? "I'm so sorry."

The king stopped. She thought she heard him sigh. "I know," he murmured, in the general direction of the ground. They were possibly the only honest words he'd spoken in their entire conversation. And then he was gone.

Her eyes burned. _I know._ What did he mean? _I know, but that's not good enough. I know, but I'll never forgive you._

"Mal!" The noise from the classroom had been getting progressively louder, and she hadn't realized. Evidently control had been lost, because a familiar little girl came skipping out of the doors to find her. "Mal, look at my drawering!"

She'd obviously had help to make the flowers at least somewhat recognizable. One was purple, another pink, and another light blue. "Uh..." Mal coughed to normalize her voice. "Good job."

The girl was no longer interested in Mal's opinion. "Why are your eyes so sad?"

"They are not," replied Mal defensively. She blinked hard and steeled herself.

"They look like they are."

"I'm just...they water sometimes when I do magic," she lied.

"What mag - OH! Wow!"

Muttering a spell under her breath, Mal tapped the paper and watched the flowers peel themselves off the page, standing upright in three dimensions. Inside the classroom, the noise level dropped as all the other students saw the same phenomenon occur to their drawings. Then it returned with a roar of excitement.

Mal walked the girl back into the classroom, only barely noting the boy who'd previously been so disgusted by flowers now smiling and showing off his magically-enhanced creation. Everyone was distracted, and didn't notice her leave.

She had an appointment with Dr. Rickett later that day, but at that moment she just wanted to be alone. Her head was swimming with thoughts that shouted over one another, so loud she could barely hear the front desk attendant wishing her good luck in school. Trying to find a quiet spot in the Children's Village was futile; she somehow ended up outside and just kept walking. Nearby, there was a small grove of trees where she could collect herself without being seen. Mal sat, her back against the trunk of a nearly-mature sapling, and attempted to calm down by listening to the birds, to the traffic, to anything but herself.

 _Why would you expect any different? You tricked him, betrayed him, nearly killed him - twice. He has to have questioned why he suddenly had feelings for you and then just as suddenly, they were gone. He probably knows you spelled him. He's been your victim, in every way, since you got here. You're a criminal, a murderer, a thief, a liar. You're the embodiment of everything Auradon doesn't want. It's a wonder he didn't hate you sooner._

 _Evil has a price, and your price is Ben._

A tear ran down her cheek. The sensation was still foreign to her. She wiped it away. Another took its place. They were hot behind her eyes, but cool the minute they left. There was a fire in her, heating them. A fire that was spreading from her head to her stomach, to her hands, to her legs. She spoke the words without really meaning to, without even thinking about it.

Purple smoke rose up around her. Wings budded from her back and her feet grew. Her face elongated and her skin turned purple. Within seconds she was twenty feet long from end to end and there wasn't enough space for her with all of these trees around - her tail swooshed in an arc and knocked down everything in its path.

This gave her just enough room to beat her wings and launch into the air, spiraling up, up towards the clouds with no intention of coming down anytime soon.

* * *

"We've waited long enough," Evie insisted. "We have to tell someone."

Carlos and Jay, still fighting off sleep, exchanged uncertain looks. "It's Auradon. I don't think anything's happened that Mal can't handle."

"She's been acting weird all week and you're not even _slightly_ worried that she's been gone all night?"

"We're worried, Evie," Carlos admitted, "But Mal used to go off to do stuff on her own all the time. We never bothered her about it. I think all we can do is wait for her to come back, then just ask her to tell one of us next time she's going to be gone for more than a day."

Evie didn't like this idea. Mal's strange behavior had increased her baseline anxiety level, and now it was at a point where she could no longer sit tight. She hadn't seen her roommate since Friday night, and it was now six a.m. on Sunday morning. Her bed hadn't been touched in the three hours Evie had slept at the boys' insistence, after waiting until two for Mal to come home.

"If you tell someone, she might get in trouble, Evie. We're not supposed to be out past curfew - and we're definitely not supposed to leave campus without permission." Jay was right. Mal had had permission to go to the Children's Village yesterday, but that was it. What if Evie was overreacting, and Mal was punished for no reason?

"Okay," decided Evie after some thought. "We don't tell an adult, then. Let's tell Ben. He can probably help find her without fussing about curfews."

The boys agreed to this plan, and followed Evie to knock on Ben's door. Too late, they realized that other people were probably not awake this early on a Sunday.

Ben answered the door in his pajamas, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. "Evie? Guys? What's going on?"

"Mal's missing," Evie told him impatiently. Her sense of foreboding eclipsed her guilt at waking him up. "She's been gone since before I woke up yesterday."

That got the king's attention. Instantly alert, he began firing questions. "When did you see her last? Where was she supposed to be? Did she take anything with her? Did you call her? Did she leave a note?"

The three of them answered Ben's questions to the best of their ability, getting a surprising outburst of " _What do you mean you don't have cell phones?!"_ out of him. They explained the rule-breaking situation as well, begging him to keep the problem under wraps. He ordered them back to Mal and Evie's room, and soon followed after changing into something in which he could be seen in public. Despite the sport coat and khakis, he looked worse off than before - Evie had only seen him this distressed once, the day of the coronation.

"Check her things," he said tersely. "You might have missed a message from her."

They did so, pulling the covers off of Mal's bed, rummaging through her drawers, clearing off the top of her desk. Evie noticed that Mal's spell book was right in the middle of the desk, as if it had been recently perused. That didn't make sense, though - what reason did she have to use it anymore?

There was a piece of paper in between its pages, which Evie hoped would tell her where her roommate was.

It didn't.

"Ben!" she screamed, horrified. In less than a second, three boys practically jumped on her to read the letter for themselves. Carlos gasped, Jay shook his head in disbelief. Ben's face had gone ghostly pale. "It was...here...oh god."

The paper had been resting in between a spell for reattaching limbs and a spell for removing hearts. As Evie read through it, a conversation from earlier in the week flashed through her memory.

"The full moon was last night."

She should have known. So _stupid,_ she should have known! And now, a heartless Mal was walking around Auradon, or asleep somewhere hoping to be transported to the Isle, and she had done nothing to stop this. She'd done nothing to save her friend.

Though he looked as though he was a puff of air away from passing out, Ben set his jaw and pulled out his phone. "We're not hiding this anymore," he said hoarsely. "I'm calling Fairy Godmother."

Evie covered her face with her hands, leaning in as Jay and Carlos hugged her. "Why would she do this?" she lamented. "Why did she say she 'couldn't cut it'? What happened to her? We were supposed to be her friends, and we don't even know!"

No one had an answer for her. Ben hung up the phone, and cleared his throat to get their attention. "I saw...she was seen at the Children's Village last. I'm going to go there to get their security camera footage and try to figure out where she went. You guys need to search the grounds - "

"I'll come with you!" Carlos volunteered. "Dude might be able to follow her trail."

"Fine," said Ben. "You two - Fairy Godmother's organizing a school-wide search. We need to find her before the sleeping spell breaks." Something visibly shut down inside him - his eyes went dead. "Remember, she...she's not Mal anymore."

* * *

Carlos had never before been afraid of Ben. That didn't sound the way he wanted it to - perhaps he was more afraid _for_ Ben. As the two of them, plus Dude, sat down in on of Ben's limos, the king hardly spared Carlos a glance. He was still unnaturally pale and closed off - miles away from the friendly, optimistic prince Carlos had first met. No one could blame him. A week into his rule and his kingdom had been under threat twice, thanks to the same person - one of the people he'd brought here himself.

She would be somewhere they couldn't miss her. She wouldn't put everyone in danger again, Carlos believed fervently. Her letter was evidence of that. The full weight of her decision hadn't hit him yet - he realized that he was still thinking of her as his friend. Nowhere in his head had it clicked that she was gone. He was in denial, even though he factually knew nothing was going to be the same.

Dude, naturally drawn to the saddest person in a given situation, whined and nudged Ben's elbow with his nose. Ben paid him no mind, choosing instead to stare out the window at the scenery going by.

"You don't deserve this. You've done so much for us, and this is how we repay you," Carlos observed. Ben finally looked at him, and Carlos tapped the skin under his own eyes. "You haven't been sleeping."

"Oh." Ben's attention returned to the world outside of the car. "It was never about repayment."

"We'll find her. We'll fix this. We owe you that."

Ben sighed, hopelessness apparent. "You don't owe me anything." _Why does he look like it's already game over?_ The Isle kids were the ones who had lost a friend. Ben's kingdom still had a chance, but he was already mourning.

"The least we could do is not screw you over again, when you're already so stressed out from being king that you can't sleep - "

"That's not it." For a while, the king didn't continue. Then, slowly, "Have you ever seen something so terrible...that every time you close your eyes...it haunts you?"

Carlos had plenty of examples, none of which he cared to think about at the moment. "What did you see?"

Ben swallowed hard. "What Maleficent did to Mal." Carlos didn't need further explanation to recall that scene. She'd been covered in blood and gashes deep enough to show muscle.

"You've never watched anyone die before, have you?" Ben didn't respond, but his hands clenched into fists. "It doesn't really get easier...but then, I guess it shouldn't." He thought back to his own sense of horror upon realizing that Mal was bleeding out, that she would never wake up from that final blow without a miracle. He and Ben had probably shared that reaction, considering that they had been under the same spell. "You don't know this, but the reason you randomly had a crush on Mal for a couple of weeks was because she gave you a love potion." The king didn't even blink, which Carlos found simultaneously strange and worrying. "That's probably why it impacted you so much. I know, I was spelled, too - Jay thought it was better that way, so no one knew about...us."

Ben idly twisted a ring on his little finger. "Do you still love her?" he asked quietly.

"What? No way. Jay broke the spell when he - " Something in Ben's tone made Carlos pause. "Do you?"

Silence.

"She said the spell on you broke too - "

The car stopped, and Ben didn't wait for Carlos to finish - or his chauffeur to open the door - before jumping out.

Carlos had only been at the Children's Village once before, earlier that week. It was a nice place, he had to admit, though he had a personal preference for Auradon Prep. The sound of kids laughing, crying, fussing, and playing was audible before they even entered the front doors. Dude seemed to like it; he panted happily at the prospect of running around with all these new people. Carlos picked him up to keep him from scampering off. Ben hardly greeted the front desk attendant, instead making a beeline for an unmarked door to the right.

The room had only one person in it, a security guard, but at least ten different screens. The guard stood hastily to greet his king, but Ben was not in the mood for pleasantries. "We need to see the tapes starting from around 9:30 in the morning yesterday."

Bringing up and loading the saved files took longer than Carlos had the patience for. He was only made more antsy by the stock-stillness of the king next to him. Finally, the many screens lit up with grainy tape from the previous day. He fast-forwarded until Ben told him, "Stop!"

A lone girl, unmistakably Mal, was leaving the building. Their eyes followed her off one screen and saw her reappear on another, outside of the orphanage. She walked eastwards until she was out of range of the security cameras.

"Thanks," said Ben quickly. He left the room without warning, and Carlos hurried to catch up to him. It didn't help that Ben was considerably taller and had a much longer stride. They didn't stop until they were outside, at the exact spot Mal had disappeared off the screen.

"Should I - "

"Yeah."

Carlos put down Dude, and pulled out one of Mal's t-shirts, now very rumpled, from his back pocket. He held it up to Dude's nose. "Okay, buddy. Can you tell us where she went?" Dude snuffled around the cloth and then pouted at Carlos, clearly not finding this new game very fun. "Come on, Dude. Where's Mal?"

Finally, the dog trotted off in the direction she'd been heading, so the boys followed. After a few yards, Dude barked and broke into a run. Carlos could see the hopefulness light up Ben's face for a quick second as Dude stopped in front of a small grove.

They weaved their way into the wood, with Carlos tentatively calling out his friend's name. Before they got far, Dude circled around and whined at them.

"Whoa," remarked Carlos, noting several toppled trees in this haphazard clearing. "What happened here?"

Ben bent down, inspecting four large indents in the grass. He considered the destruction, and then looked up. "Mal happened."

Carlos followed his gaze, seeing an unobstructed section of blue sky despite the surrounding blockage by tree canopies. It was almost certainly a dragon-sized hole. His stomach sank. "She could be anywhere."

* * *

Jay had finished turning over the chemistry room, searching inside closets and under desks for any sleeping fairies. He exited the room empty-handed.

Other students were canvassing the rest of campus. Fairy Godmother was waiting until the last possible minute to call the King's Guard, but noon was edging closer and the sleeping spell could wear off at any point after that.

His every sense was heightened. Mal without empathy, without feelings - was there anything scarier? That was how she used to be, on the Isle, but at least he'd been part of her gang and never had to fear her wrath. Would this Mal have any loyalties at all?

The last time someone had crossed her on the Isle, Jay had been at her side when their reckoning came. Gil, one of Gaston's kids - an idiot, by all accounts, which is how he ended up on Mal's hit list. She'd given him a chance to admit he'd been working as a double agent for Uma, Ursula's eldest. When he didn't, Jay hardly saw the swish of the blade, she was so fast. Gil was on the ground, carotid spurting, before Jay had finished blinking. Mal's face had been expressionless - no enjoyment, no disgust, just nonchalance.

She'd come so far. They all had. Why would she want to go back to that?

He left the building entirely, tired of seeing scared students scurrying from room to room. A bunch of people had headed into the forest earlier, and since it covered several dozen acres Jay was sure they could use more help. He jogged across the tourney field, anxiously noting the high position of the sun in the sky. They only had a couple of hours left, at most.

His jogging slowed when he saw a figure emerging from the treeline - short, with lavender hair, and glowing green eyes. Very much awake. The last remnants of wings receded into her back. She was alone.

Jay thought back to their first days in Auradon, when Mal had nearly choked him to death in anger. He unconsciously moved a hand to his throat, as though he could feel it closing up again as she came closer. What would this Mal do? Would she spare him, out of respect for their days on the Isle? Or would he be her first victim?

He couldn't run, even if he wanted to. She'd catch him in an instant. The most he could do was stall her until hopefully, someone else saw them and alerted Fairy Godmother. "Mal?" He could hear the tremor in his voice. "We've been looking for you."


	25. Story Of Our Lives

**Yes, you read that story status correctly! I am so sorry for the delay, and for not responding to reviews. I hope this makes up for it!**

* * *

Mal flew for hours, high over the clouds so no one would see her if they chanced to look up. She liked being a dragon - her priorities had shifted, and now she really only cared about three things: hunting, sleeping, and hoarding treasure. The other problems were there, in the back of her mind, but she could control their influence over her. She could refuse to care.

Flying was unlike anything she'd ever experienced. She was sleek and aerodynamic so she shot through the wind like a bullet. Her scales pressed down into her body so the cracks wouldn't catch air and slow her down. Her wings were powerful - they had to be, she was the size of a truck - and at their full extension they created menacing shadows on the clouds below her that made her feel even bigger than she was.

But eventually, even gliding along became too much for her. Dragons, as it turned out, required much more fuel than petite teenage girls did. Hungry and tired, Mal spotted a mountain range in the distance and decided to alight there, on the highest peak.

An unlucky mountain goat met its demise at her claws. She'd eaten worse on the Isle, and besides, the prospect of raw meat was almost exciting for the dragon side of her. She lumbered around with her freshly killed prey in her jaws until she found a cave sufficiently large to contain her entire bulk. The cavern was annoyingly devoid of gold, and Mal felt a sudden urge to go rummaging through the nearest town for shiny trinkets. Her human side quickly shut that thought process down.

After the goat was picked clean, Mal found herself feeling quite sleepy. She breathed fire all along the walls to warm them up, and a few pitiful mountain weeds caught fire as well. Then she curled up, tucking her tail under her head as a pillow and covering her eyes with one of her wings to block out the afternoon sunlight, and fell asleep.

She was rudely awakened by her lungs screaming for air.

It was pitch black outside - and inside, for that matter. The air was too thin for her. She gasped and gasped, and upon hearing the sounds her struggling throat made, she realized she was human again.

At some point the spell must have worn off, just like it had when she lost the fight against Maleficent. Her human anatomy was not cut out for these high altitudes, and already her head was buzzing. Her vision was probably blurred, but she couldn't see anything to begin with.

 _Turn back, turn back, turn back, turn back!_ She fumbled through the words, relieved when she felt her body changing.

Within seconds, her powerful dragon lungs were able to right the oxygen imbalance. She gulped in air, shamefully recalling the first time she'd nearly killed Ben. She was a danger to everyone around her, even herself. It was a good thing she -

 _Shit._ Mal lit the cave with fire, and slithered out the entrance once she saw it. The night sky was cloudy, and only when the cloud cover broke did she see the full moon. _Shit!_

She was missing it. Her spell book and all of her preparations were in Auradon, and she was at least four hours away by flight. What time was it? Would she make it? What direction was she supposed to fly in? If she didn't get back to Auradon before morning, she would be stuck for another twenty eight days. That was not an option.

Mal thought back. The sun had been on her right during the last leg of her flight - so she'd been going south. Thinking even further back, her dragon heart felt a dull pang as she realized that thanks to Ben and his explanation during their last date, she knew which star was the North Star. She found it twinkling brightly in the direction of Auradon, and took off.

Despite flying as fast as physics would allow, the sky turned gray and then a light blue on her way. She dipped below the clouds occasionally to see if she recognized any landmarks, but in vain. Of course she hadn't flown directly south, so being off by a few degrees sent her miles in the wrong direction. It didn't help that she'd only seen about ten square miles of the mainland before.

 _The water_. She reached the ocean, and flew along the shore until she saw a familiar eyesore. Auradon Prep wasn't far from the Isle of the Lost, and within minutes of sighting her old home, she was hovering over the forest behind the school.

 _It's too late_ , she lamented, diving into the trees _._ The sun was well over the horizon. More importantly, the full moon was gone. Despairing, she concentrated on the counter-spell to the dragon morph, hardly waiting for her transformation to finish before rushing towards the dorms. Maybe there was still time. Maybe she could still get away with it.

Then she saw Jay cautiously approaching her, and she knew something was terribly wrong. "Mal," he greeted, much more meekly than she'd ever heard him sound before. "We've been looking for you."

She brushed a few leaves out of her hair. "I was just...um..." There were other students wandering around the grounds. "Who's 'we'?"

"Everyone." Jay relaxed a little bit. "Wait, are you...have you..." He tapped his chest, but seemed reluctant to elaborate further.

"Have I what?" He couldn't possibly be asking what Mal thought he was asking.

Uncomfortably, Jay continued, "Where is your heart?"

So he knew. "Right where it's always been. Don't worry." She sighed. "When did you find out?"

To her shock, Jay had suddenly grabbed her in a very one-sided hug. "Dammit, Mal. Why didn't you tell us what was going on? Why did you give up?"

Mal extricated herself. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Seriously?" said Jay angrily. He was much less timid now. "You just go off, leave the _least helpful_ letter ever, tell us you're going to _remove your own heart,_ and you don't want to talk about it?!"

"Look - you won't understand! Because...because I don't understand." How could she explain that she was no longer herself, that suddenly she was half the person she wanted to be, that her other half wasn't hers anymore?

"Well, you better figure it out fast. Fairy Godmother's been waiting for someone to find you. You know I have to take you to her, right?"

Mal shrugged, and followed him without resistance. He kept looking over his shoulder at her, clearly still worried, but she was too preoccupied with whatever fresh hell Fairy Godmother would have in store for her after this episode.

When they entered the headmistress's office, Mal was unpleasantly surprised to see a disheveled-looking Ben in the middle of a conversation with Fairy Godmother. Their eyes met before she could look away.

"She's okay," Jay announced. "She didn't go through with that spell."

"Thank goodness." Fairy Godmother had had her wand in hand, but set it down on her desk now that the imminent danger had disappeared. Even Ben looked relieved. "Where have you been?"

Mal didn't answer. It was bad enough that she was expected to explain herself, but in front of Ben?

A few seconds passed in silence, and the king's expression darkened considerably. "Fairy Godmother asked you a question," he said tersely. "Where. Have. You. Been?"

"I don't know," Mal shot back. "I don't know where I went. I just...went."

" _Why_?" Ben exploded. Mal had seen his anger before, but it had never, ever been directed at her. Not even when she deserved it. The force of his fury armed all of her defenses. " _How could you just go off like that?"_

The portion of her mind that still listened to reason told her that he'd probably spent the past day worried sick about his kingdom after Jay or whoever had found her note. A much, much larger part of her remembered him walking away at the orphanage. "Didn't think you would notice," she spat.

"You did this for _attention?!"_

"That's quite enough!" Fairy Godmother interrupted. Mal and Ben were glaring daggers at each other. She knew the look in his eye well - it was hatred. "Jay, please take _His Majesty_ somewhere he can calm down before returning to this room. Mal, sit down. Don't argue, either of you."

It was obvious that the very last thing Jay wanted to do at the moment was order Ben around, but he didn't have to. Ben stormed out, slamming the door behind him. Jay had to open it again so he could leave in a quieter fashion.

Now that Ben was gone, Mal's anger melted into despondency. She didn't want another twenty eight days of Ben hating her. She didn't want another second of it.

She flopped into a nearby chair, ready to tune out everything Fairy Godmother was about to tell her, just as she had tuned out most of her professors in the past week. However, Fairy Godmother had other plans. She took a seat behind her desk and folded her hands. "Mal, I understand why you want to leave."

Mal doubted that very much.

"Let me tell you something you may not know. A long, long time ago, a woman dabbled in some very dark magic. The kind that requires you to sacrifice something important. In her case, she sacrificed not only a part of herself, but a part of every descendant she would ever have. That woman was Morgan La Fey, and she made this bargain in order to be the only human who could turn into a dragon at will."

She was right; Mal did not know this. As interesting as it was, she could hardly see how it related at all to the situation at hand.

"And so she did. She used this power to wreak havoc on Camelot and King Arthur. She took over kingdoms and created an empire and had all the power she ever dreamed of having - and then she died. But not before leaving a daughter, just as evil, who also possessed that unique ability. Her daughter after her, and her daughter after her...you see my point. All evil, all dragonmorphs - until you."

"I'm related to her." Mal said slowly, putting the pieces together. "And I'm under some kind of curse because of her? What makes me different, the fact that I don't have a daughter? Is that what you want to tell me - 'Don't have kids'?"

"No, Mal. You are different because you did not choose evil. Evil quite literally runs in your blood, thanks to that curse from all those centuries ago. But somehow you broke it, that day at the coronation. For the first time in over a thousand years, we saw a dragon that was _good._ You released one of the tightest holds evil has had on humans in the history of magic."

"So Ben's wrong," Mal said slowly. "I was never supposed to choose good. I was born to be evil."

"No! You see? You proved him right. Most people choose, but you - even I never thought you would change. How could you, with black magic woven into the fabric of your being? But Ben believed all along, because he never forgot that things more powerful than that magic exist."

"Did he know about this?" demanded Mal. There were no limits to that boy's optimism.

"Yes. He insisted that curse did not matter in the face of friendship. But that's beside the point. What I wanted to talk about is what comes next." She examined her charge with no small amount of pity. "The adrenaline and excitement is over. What are you left with? An empty space where that curse used to be? Evil has always been a part of you, Mal, and now it isn't. You are lost, you are confused, and you want to go back to the last time you felt sure of yourself."

Mal couldn't help her jaw dropping just a little. Of all people, Fairy Godmother had come the closest to putting words to the feelings she couldn't explain.

"So I see why you thought the Isle was a viable solution. But you cannot regress, Mal, even if it is the easiest path. Even after this fairly quick explanation, you may not know how significant your decision was. Auradon needs you to stay on the side of good, because you are proof that _everyone_ deserves a chance. Otherwise...your children and your children after you, the families of everyone on the Isle, would never have been integrated back into society. That is why we are asking you to stay, to try, to not give up. Going forwards will be difficult. Figuring out who you are now will test you. You must learn to ask for help, to lean on the many people around you who care for you and want to see you succeed."

So she didn't entirely understand. Mal stood up, hopeless again. "You can't help me."

"Mal - "

"I'm tired," she lied. "Can I go back to my room?"

"You can," the headmistress allowed. "But you should know that your spell book has been moved to a safer location."

 _Damn it._

Mal left anyway. She had a lot to think about - was she a project? A mascot? Why was she being put through all of this? Fairy godmother didn't have to feel this emptiness inside, this desperate but fruitless desire to fill with love what had once been filled with darkness. She wondered how the older woman would like it. She'd quite like to show her.

The evil thoughts did make her feel better - she needed to be careful. If what Fairy Godmother said was true, it would be all too easy to fall back into the grip of dark magic again. How was she supposed to avoid it, when the person who'd really broken the curse - the person who was supposed to take the place of the hatred inside her - wanted nothing to do with her?

Mal pushed through her door, ready to tell Evie that she really didn't want to answer questions, but was yet again surprised to find Ben there. He was pacing, ranting to a seated Evie about " - there are _rules_ , and they exist for a _reason_ , and there's no - " He stopped when the door closed behind Mal.

"Mal!" Evie rushed to hug her - this one, Mal let slide. "We were so afraid we'd never see you the same again." She pulled away. "Why'd you resort to that, Mal? Did you feel like you couldn't talk to me about what was going on?"

"It's not that." Mal was speaking to her roommate, but exchanging glares with the king. Between despair and anger, she'd chose anger every time.

Evie glanced between the two of them. "Do you...do you guys want to speak privately?"

"No," said Mal, at the same time that Ben answered, "Yes."

 _Now_ he wanted to talk to her. "Fine," snarled Mal. "Give us a minute, Evie."

The other girl muttered a barely audible, "Please don't kill each other," as she exited the room.

"What?" Mal snapped at him.

"What were you thinking?" His voice was dangerously low. "Why would you even attempt a spell like that?"

"It would've been fine. I would've been back on the Isle with plenty of time to spare. Your precious kingdom would never have been under any threat."

" _It's not about the kingdom!"_ Ben thundered. Again, he was furious with her, and she closed herself off in protection. "Did it ever occur to you that the minute you crossed that barrier, the magic would cut out and you'd be _dead_ without your heart in your body?"

Actually...that had not occurred to her. She gaped stupidly for a moment, and then countered, "What does it matter to you, anyway? If you _hate_ me so much, then either way one of your problems would be solved!"

It was Ben's turn to be rendered speechless. His whole body went slack, he'd had the wind knocked out of him. "Hate you? Mal, I could never hate you." His tone had returned to normal, even a little softer than that. "I've been _worried_ about you."

"Could've fooled me," Mal said, not quite ready to stop being angry.

Worn out all of a sudden, Ben sank into the couch and covered his face, running his hands all the way up through his hair before staring at an unremarkable spot on the wall. "I know I haven't been around...okay, I know I've been avoiding you. But I do want to be friends again, eventually. Really, I do...I just...can't right now. I need some time."

Her voice had turned shaky. "Time for what?"

He shrugged. "Time to just...get over you, I guess." Ben caught her confused gaze. "I said I loved you, Mal, and I meant it."

 _Oh no. Oh no no no no..._ Mal thought she would be overjoyed if she ever heard him say that - she had never anticipated all of this guilt. She stumbled back a step, slapping her own forehead. "Shit...Ben...you're under a love spell. I thought I gave you an antidote but it must not have - "

"Your spell washed off when I fell in the lake," Ben said dismissively. "It's enchanted. Magic doesn't work under the surface." He went on to talk about how he needed time away from her to figure things out, and that he wasn't accusing her of anything but simply asking for space. Mal heard none of it. Her mind was racing, her heart was racing - like they were in some sort of sprinting competition. They'd kissed _after_ he'd fallen in the lake. _After_ the spell broke. She'd thought the love spell had supplied the other 'half' required for true love's kiss, but in reality...

"...I thought it might be real," Ben was admitting to the floor beneath his feet when she tuned back in, "that maybe you didn't know how to tell me how you felt, but that it didn't matter how the relationship started as long as we'd gotten to where we were supposed to be. I believed that, right up until the wand flew out of Fairy Godmother's hand." His shoulders sagged. "I get that it was just part of the plan - that _I_ was just part of the plan - so I'm not angry. You were doing what you thought you had to, and you made the right decision in the end - "

What had she done to him? Mal couldn't help but notice his defeated posture, the dark circles under his eyes, his wrinkled clothes, his pale skin. He looked a lot like she felt - and she had not just let this happen to the person she loved most in the world, she'd caused it. _And he still doesn't blame me - he loves me despite everything._ Mal barely registered walking over to him.

" - And I never, ever want you to feel like I expect you to love me, because that's not - what are you doing?!"

She'd intended to sit next to him, but that just didn't feel close enough. She swung her legs over his lap so she could hug him tightly. The scent of his cologne, his chest pressed against hers, his continued attempts to force some sort of coherent noise out of his mouth - it all made her smile for the first time in so, so long.

"Of course I love you, Ben," she whispered to him, letting those giant words out of her heart for the first time, "I've always loved you."

Ben's arms froze mid-flail. A couple of seconds passed, and he regained enough control of them to gently push her away by the shoulders. He searched her face for answers. "You do?"

"Yes." She had to suppress the urge to laugh giddily at the look on his face - or really, at anything. The relief that came with getting rid of that burdensome _sadness_ nearly had her trembling. Her smile only grew as what she'd said dawned on Ben, and in the end a laugh did escape her when she realized, _this moron still thinks I don't want him to kiss me._

Mal pressed her lips to his and was visited by the same euphoria she'd felt on their first date. Everything made sense for the first time - he loved her, and she loved him, and this was where they were supposed to be. Her heart felt whole again at last. But before he could respond, she pulled back. "Did you not know that was true love's kiss, back at the lake?"

He shrugged, his eyes wide and still locked on her lips. "I thought it was more magic," he murmured.

"It was. But not mine." She gently touched his cheek. Ben slowly smiled, and she kissed him again. One of his arms encircled her waist, and she felt his other hand under her thigh, pulling her legs closer. Surprised by the intimacy but rather pleased, Mal cradled the sides of his face and rested her forehead on his when they broke apart.

"I missed you." Ben brushed her hair away from their faces. "I know we have so much that we still need to talk about, but for right now, can we just stay like this?"

Mal thoroughly agreed, which earned her another kiss from him. She savored it, kissing the corner of his mouth, and then his jaw. Ben nuzzled her cheek, his fingers brushing her neck. Startled, Mal nearly jumped off of him.

Instead of immediately apologizing, as was his wont, a smirk spread across Ben's face. "Don't tell me...Mal, daughter of Maleficent, Princess of the Isle, the last of the dragons...is ticklish?"

She really did jump off of him, and took a few steps back, hiding a smile. "Stay _away_ from me."

Ben was in no rush. That terrifying smirk was still there as he got up and matched her step for step. She eventually reached a wall and could move no further. His hands slammed down on either side of her, trapping her there.

"Don't do this, Ben," Mal warned.

He leaned close, until his lips were mere millimeters from hers. "Maybe I'll show mercy...just this once." Mal's heart thudded in her chest; her body temperature must have gone up several degrees. Unwilling to be teased any longer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard. Ben drew her in by the hips. With her body pressed against his, Mal could tell she wasn't the only one feeling the sudden heat. He dared to taste her bottom lip, and she encouraged him, tangling her fingers in his hair.

They were so engrossed in each other, they didn't notice Evie return until she exclaimed, "What the actual _fu - "_

* * *

Evie could hardly believe everything she'd heard in the past fifteen minutes. She'd forced Ben and Mal to sit down - an appropriate distance away from each other - and explain themselves. Apparently, this was something they'd been planning to do anyway because despite their newfound _friendliness_ , they were not entirely on the same page.

"So that's why you've been so sulky?" Evie asked incredulously.

Mal glowered. "I have not been _sulky._ " Ben bumped his knee against hers, giving her a reassuring smile, and her expression softened.

"God, Mal, why didn't you just tell somebody? This could've been fixed ages ago! Or Ben, for that matter - both of you are _literally_ the dumbest people on the planet!" She didn't really think so, and in hindsight it was probably not a great idea to say that to a king or a sorceress, but Evie was just blabbering at that point. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that they were in love with each other - that they had been all this time. Seeing them now, there was no denying it, but she still didn't understand how this could have happened.

"Sorry." They were still in too blissful of a haze to register the insult. They clearly wanted to be left alone to finish whatever they had started - where had Mal learned to kiss like that, anyway? - but Evie was not done.

"So what now? Are you going to date? Are you seriously dating someone, Mal?"

Ben and Mal exchanged looks. "Well, yeah."

"This is crazy," muttered Evie. "You know what it is, is I'm hallucinating from the lack of sleep."

"Evie," Mal began, standing up. "I'm sorry for worrying you guys like that, and keeping you up all night. I shouldn't have done it. I should've come to you for help. I just didn't think that it would matter."

"Well it does, Mal. We came here together. We're sticking together. Remember?" Evie sighed. "You're not alone anymore, okay? So if this one - " She raised an eyebrow at Ben, " - does anything stupid, you tell me. Because I'm here for you, just like you were there for me."

"'This one'? I _am_ still king, you know," Ben pointed out.

* * *

"You're joking."

"I swear I'm not."

Carlos just stared at Evie with his jaw hanging open. "She says she _loves_ him?"

"Yeah. I even made her repeat it a few times to make sure."

"Geez," breathed Jay. "It's like the world's flipped upside-down."

"At least you have some warning," Evie told them, a little snappishly. "I walked in on them _making out._ Do you have any idea how trippy that was? I was about to get myself an ambulance." She rubbed her temples. "Anyway, can I nap in here? I really don't want to be in the same room as them right now."

Carlos couldn't even snigger at that, which he would have, had it been Evie. But Mal? That was nuts. And with Ben? That was even nuttier. He petted Dude absentmindedly. "Remember when life made sense?"

"Vividly." Evie took their lack of response to mean 'yes', and climbed onto Carlos's bed. "But you know what? I think she's actually happy. She looks a million times better than she did on Friday. Or ever. She keeps _smiling_ , which is still throwing me off." Evie snuggled into the pillow. "I hope it lasts a long time."

* * *

Jay knew he shouldn't stare, but he couldn't help it - and he wasn't the only one. He and Carlos had invited everyone over for a movie, purely out of curiosity. Ben and Mal had settled into one side of the couch. Ben's arm had not left Mal's shoulders since they'd walked in. Evie and Doug took the remaining space, and Jay pulled out three chairs for himself, Carlos, and Lonnie. Lonnie had excitedly claimed to anyone who would listen that she had 'called it'. While Jay wasn't sure what exactly she was referring to, it embarrassed Mal, so he let Lonnie tell him several times.

They'd put on an action movie, but hardly anyone was watching. Jay, at least, was sneaking surreptitious glances at the new couple, trying to figure out how Ben was getting away with holding Mal that closely. The king would whisper something in her ear every so often, resulting in a smile or a response, but always making her face light up.

Their obvious affection made him think. If _Mal_ could do it, why couldn't he? Carlos was sitting next to him, also pretending to watch the movie while working through the scene in front of him. Jay reached for his boyfriend's hand and held it, suppressing his instinctual reaction of letting go, of hiding. Carlos turned to him with a questioning look, and Jay just shrugged, letting their entwined fingers hang in the air between their chairs.

* * *

Ben was reluctant to say goodbye, even just for the night. He could tell Mal was hesitating too - their final kiss in front of his door lasted a while. Ultimately, though, Ben broke it, and took her hands in his. "Goodnight, Mal. I love you."

"I love you, too." She'd developed a smile he'd never seen before - soft and sweet and just for him. She made to leave, but his grip on her hands didn't loosen. She raised an eyebrow.

"Mal, listen..." Ben struggled to form a sentence that wouldn't sound highly inappropriate. Their relationship was, for all intents and purposes, brand new. What he wanted to ask was a little forward. But worse, he realized, was starting off a statement like that and trailing off, leaving Mal to expect some kind of bombshell - which she was clearly doing now. So he told her everything, beginning from the moment Maleficent had burst through the glass window. "...And I was completely frozen. I couldn't even blink or look away, much less help you. I had to watch you die without being able to do a thing about it. That moment that I knew she was going to kill you..." He shuddered, and felt her hand on his shoulder.

"She's gone now, Ben."

"I know. But whenever I try to sleep, I see it again and again and...again." It was torture, and it probably showed. He saw whatever she was about to say catch in her throat, and her hold on him tightened. "Can you stay for a little while...just until I go to sleep? I'm sorry to ask this, Mal, but if I knew you were there...if I could hear your voice..."

"Of course." Her response was immediate. She slid her hand down to hold his, and motioned for him to open the door.

He'd been putting off coming back to his room for the past week, choosing instead to work for hours past dusk in an office put aside for him by the library. Being by himself had not gone well - when he'd found the ring Mal had given back, he'd just stared at it, motionless, for over ten minutes. At night, the shadows took on Maleficent's form and promised to rip Mal to shreds if ever given the chance again. All of this seemed irrelevant with her standing right next to him.

Ben left her alone for a moment while he changed in his bathroom. As elated as he was to finally be with the girl he loved, it was the prospect of getting a good night's sleep that excited him at the moment. When he emerged, he saw Mal examining a photo of him with his parents hanging on the back wall.

Ben still carried some residual anger about the life she'd been denied, but that was one thing she would never have had - a happy memory with her mother. He approached her and rubbed her back. "That was from the opening of an animal shelter last year. You ever thought about having a pet?"

"Anything but a lizard." She leaned into his chest, sighing contentedly. "You're a lot like your mother, you know."

"Yeah?" Ben smiled and held her. "How's that?"

"Very pretty."

Mal shrieked as Ben tickled her in revenge. Despite her dodging, he did eventually catch her. He loved the way her bright green eyes sparkled when she looked at him. He loved that fiery, cheeky personality. And he loved being hers, loved that she was his. She'd never know how incredibly alone he'd felt without her.

He carried a chair over to his preferred side of the bed and turned off the lights. Manners dictated that he let Mal sit before he climbed under the covers. It was an awkward set up, no doubt, but he already noticed the lack of pre-nightmare memories.

Mal casually took his hand in both of her own. "So...feeling sleepy?"

"Sleepy is an understatement," he answered, yawning. "Are you okay with this?"

"I am," she confirmed quickly, brushing her lips along the back of his fingers, "but I just don't know what to do."

"Say anything. Any stories?"

She thought for a moment. "Once upon a time..." Ben smiled and closed his eyes. "There was this girl, and she _hated_ dancing. With a passion." He chuckled before yawning again. "Just really despised it. Until she met someone she didn't mind dancing with." Her hand caressed his cheek, and he opened his eyes to look up at her one more time. "And this is the story of their happily ever after."

* * *

 **Finally done!**

 **I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed this story! It was so wonderful being part of a community like this again. Admittedly I hesitated posting this for a little while because I'm really sad to leave, but unfortunately, I have no plans for a sequel. If I have any one-shots, I'll probably add it on to here. Here's hoping Descendants 3 is great!**


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